Acute chest syndrome in children with sickle cell disease: Data from a national AIEOP cohort identify priority areas of intervention in a hub-and-spoke system.

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a frequent cause of hospitalization in sickle cell disease (SCD). Despite advances in acute care, many settings still lack knowledge about ACS best practices. After the AIEOP Guidelines were published in 2012, suggesting standardized management in Italy, a retrospective study was performed to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic pathways of ACS in children. From 2013 to 2018, 208 ACS episodes were presented by 122/583 kids in 11 centres. 73 were male, mean age 10.9 years, 85% African, 92% HbSS or Sß°. In our hub-and-spoke system, a good adherence to Guidelines was documented, but discrepancies between reference centres and general hospitals were noted. Improvement is needed for timely transfer to reference centres, use of incentive spirometry, oxygen therapy and pain management.

Development of a rapid PCR protocol to detect Vibrio parahaemolyticus in clams.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is part of the natural microflora of estuarine and coastal marine waters and can be also present in seafood, especially shellfish and bivalve molluscs. In this study we compared the reference cultural method ISO 6887-3 with two molecular methods, multiplex PCR and real-time PCR, for the detection of two distinct genetic markers (tlh species-specific gene and tdh virulence gene) of V. parahaemolyticus in bivalve mollusc. The analyses were performed on clams inoculated with V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 43996 at T0 and after a 3 and 6 h of pre-enrichment in alkaline saline peptone water. Counts on agar plates were largely inaccurate, probably due to other Vibrio species grown on the TCBS selective agar. Multiplex PCR assays, performed using primers pairs for tdh and tlh genes, showed a detection limit of 104 CFU/g of shell stock within 6 h of pre-enrichment, respecting however the action level indicated by the National Seafood Sanitation Program guideline. Detection by tdh gene in real-time PCR reached the definitely highest sensitivity in shorter times, 101 CFU/g after 3 h of pre-enrichment, while the sensitivity for the tlh gene was not promising, detecting between 105 and 106 CFU/g after 6 h of pre-enrichment. Our findings provide a rapid routine method of detection of V. parahaemolyticus based on tdh gene by real-time PCR for commercial seafood analysis to identify the risk of gastrointestinal diseases.

Towards a method for determining age ranges from faces of juveniles on photographs.

The steady increase in the distribution of juvenile pornographic material in recent years strongly required valid methods for estimating the age of the victims. At the present in fact forensic experts still commonly use the assessment of sexual characteristics by Tanner staging, although they have proven to be too subjective and deceiving for age estimation. The objective of this study, inspired by a previous EU project involving Italy, Germany and Lithuania, is to verify the applicability of certain anthropometric indices of faces in order to determine age and to create a database of facial measurements on a population of children in order to improve face ageing techniques. In this study, 1924 standardized facial images in frontal view and 1921 in lateral view of individuals from 7 age groups (3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-14 years, 15-17 years, 18-20 years, 21-24 years) underwent metric analysis. Individuals were all of Caucasoid ancestry and Italian nationality. Eighteen anthropometric indices in the frontal view and five in the lateral view were then calculated from the obtained measurements. Indices showing a correlation with age were ch-ch/ex-ex, ch-ch/pu-pu, en-en/ch-ch and se-sto/ex-ex in the frontal view, se-prn/se-sn, se-prn/se-sto and se-sn/se-sto in the lateral view. All the indices increased with age except for en-en/ch-ch, without relevant differences between males and females. These results provide an interesting starting point not only for placing a photographed face in an age range but also for refining the techniques of face ageing and personal identification.

Oxylipins generation in Lactobacillus helveticus in relation to unsaturated fatty acid supplementation.

AIMS: Oxylipins are regarded as unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) oxidation products, whose accumulation in plants and fungi is associated with stress. The aim of this study was to investigate if a metabolic pathway from UFAs to oxylipins was present also in lactic acid bacteria (LAB). METHODS AND RESULTS: A strain of Lactobacillus helveticus, incubated in the presence of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids released, after 2 h, fatty acid oxidation products, mainly C6 , C8 , C9 aldehydes and alcohols. An experiment with total carbon labelled linoleic acid, in the presence or not of an oxidative stress, demonstrated that oxylipins, such as hexanal, octanal, nonanal, 2-octenal, 2-octanal, originated mainly from the oxidation of this fatty acid. CONCLUSIONS: Since lipoxygenase, dioxygenase and cytochrome P450 genes have never been found in L. helveticus, a possible pathway for linoleic conversion and oxylipins formation could include, as a first step, the transient formation of hydroxylated linoleic acids by fatty acids hydratases. However, the sequence of steps from the linoleic acid to the C6 and C8 aldehydes needs to be more deeply investigated. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Due to the multiple role of oxylipins which are flavouring agents, antimicrobial compounds and interspecific signalling molecules, the knowledge of the mechanisms involved in their biosynthesis in food related bacteria could have an important biotechnological impact, also allowing the overproduction of selected bioactive molecules.

High pressure homogenization vs heat treatment: safety and functional properties of liquid whole egg.

This research investigated the potential of multi-pass homogenization treatment for the inactivation of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis inoculated at different levels in liquid whole egg (LWE) comparing the efficacy of this treatment with a traditional thermal one performed at 65 °C. Moreover, the effects of high pressure treatment (HPH) on structural and functional properties such as viscosity, microstructure and foaming abilities of LWE were investigated. The data obtained suggested that the multi-pass high pressure treatment at 100 MPa of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis inoculated in LWE at 7 and 4 log CFU/ml resulted in a first order inactivation kinetic, while the thermal inactivation curves of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis inoculated at 8 and 4 log CFU/ml presented a non-linear behaviour, with a marked tail after 3 min of treatment at 65 °C. Additionally, HPH treatment caused an increase in foaming capacity of LWE, with respect to the untreated samples, passing from values of 26% of the control to 50% of pressure treated samples.

Pitfalls at the root of facial assessment on photographs: a quantitative study of accuracy in positioning facial landmarks.

In the last years, facial analysis has gained great interest also for forensic anthropology. The application of facial landmarks may bring about relevant advantages for the analysis of 2D images by measuring distances and extracting quantitative indices. However, this is a complex task which depends upon the variability in positioning facial landmarks. In addition, literature provides only general indications concerning the reliability in positioning facial landmarks on photographic material, and no study is available concerning the specific errors which may be encountered in such an operation. The aim of this study is to analyze the inter- and intra-observer error in defining facial landmarks on photographs by using a software specifically developed for this purpose. Twenty-four operators were requested to define 22 facial landmarks on frontal view photographs and 11 on lateral view images; in addition, three operators repeated the procedure on the same photographs 20 times (at distance of 24 h). In the frontal view, the landmarks with less dispersion were the pupil, cheilion, endocanthion, and stomion (sto), and the landmarks with the highest dispersion were gonion, zygion, frontotemporale, tragion, and selion (se). In the lateral view, the landmarks with the least dispersion were se, pronasale, subnasale, and sto, whereas landmarks with the highest dispersion were gnathion, pogonion, and tragion. Results confirm that few anatomical points can be defined with the highest accuracy and show the importance of the preliminary investigation of reliability in positioning facial landmarks.

High pressure homogenization versus heat treatment: effect on survival, growth, and metabolism of dairy Leuconostoc strains.

The effect of high pressure homogenization (HPH) with respect to a traditional heat treatment on the inactivation, growth at 8°C after treatments, and volatile profile of adventitious Leuconostoc strains isolated from Cremoso Argentino spoiled cheeses and ingredients used for their manufacture was evaluated. Most Leuconostoc strains revealed elevated resistance to HPH (eight passes, 100 MPa), especially when resuspended in skim milk. Heat treatment was more efficient than HPH in inactivating Leuconostoc cells at the three initial levels tested. The levels of alcohols and sulfur compounds increased during incubation at 8°C in HPH-treated samples, while the highest amounts of aldehydes and ketones characterized were in heated samples. Leuconostoc cells resuspended in skim milk and subjected to one single-pass HPH treatment using an industrial-scale machine showed remarkable reductions in viable cell counts only when 300 and 400 MPa were applied. However, the cell counts of treated samples rose rapidly after only 5 days of storage at 8°C. The Leuconostoc strains tested in this work were highly resistant to the inactivation treatments applied. Neither HPH nor heat treatment assured their total destruction, even though they were more sensitive to the thermal treatment. To enhance the inhibitory effect on Leuconostoc cells, HPH should be combined with a mild heat treatment, which in addition to efficient microbial inactivation, could allow maximal retention of the physicochemical properties of the product.

Monitoring of microbial metabolites and bacterial diversity in beef stored under different packaging conditions.

Beef chops were stored at 4°C under different conditions: in air (A), modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP), vacuum packaging (V), or bacteriocin-activated antimicrobial packaging (AV). After 0 to 45 days of storage, analyses were performed to determine loads of spoilage microorganisms, microbial metabolites (by solid-phase microextraction [SPME]-gas chromatography [GC]-mass spectrometry [MS] and proton nuclear magnetic resonance [(1)H NMR]), and microbial diversity (by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE] and pyrosequencing). The microbiological shelf life of meat increased with increasing selectivity of storage conditions. Culture-independent analysis by pyrosequencing of DNA extracted directly from meat showed that Brochothrix thermosphacta dominated during the early stages of storage in A and MAP, while Pseudomonas spp. took over during further storage in A. Many different bacteria, several of which are usually associated with soil rather than meat, were identified in V and AV; however, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) dominated during the late phases of storage, and Carnobacterium divergens was the most frequent microorganism in AV. Among the volatile metabolites, butanoic acid was associated with the growth of LAB under V and AV storage conditions, while acetoin was related to the other spoilage microbial groups and storage conditions. (1)H NMR analysis showed that storage in air was associated with decreases in lactate, glycogen, IMP, and ADP levels and with selective increases in levels of 3-methylindole, betaine, creatine, and other amino acids. The meat microbiota is significantly affected by storage conditions, and its changes during storage determine complex shifts in the metabolites produced, with a potential impact on meat quality.

Variability of the lipolytic activity and volatile molecules production by a strain of Yarrowia lipolytica in pork fat and its dependence on environmental conditions.

The effects of selected variables, i.e. temperature, water activity and yeast inoculation level, on the lipolytic pattern and volatile production by Yarrowia lipolytica Y16A (chosen on the basis of a previous screening) were assessed. The variables were varied according to a central composite design and the models obtained enabled evaluation and weighting of the effects of the independent variables on the free fatty acids (FFAs) and volatile profiles in pork fat based medium. The polynomial models showed the levels temperature, water activity of the pork fat based system and yeast strain inoculation were able to maximize the release of specific FFAs or molecules of sensory importance.

Variability of the lipolytic activity in Yarrowia lipolytica strains in pork fat.

This work studied the variability in lipolytic activity in 35 strains of Yarrowia lipolytica inoculated in pork fat after 7 and 21 days of storage at 15 °C. The strains were able to generate three different hydrolysis profiles. In particular, the strains PO10, PO14, RO1, RO5, Y15, Y16A, Y20, B5, 7B, 7B3, 16B and 21C caused an increase with time in concentrations of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:1(Δ11) and C18:2 which were the predominant free fatty acids (FFAs). On the contrary, the strains PO1, PO19, PO23, RO22, Y12, B4, B74, GB, 5B, 5D, 27D and W29 showed an opposite trend, while the remaining ones induced no change. Because the released FFAs can be considered precursors for flavour development, the results suggest the potential use of some Y. lipolytica strains in sausage making to improve the overall aroma.

Acid stress-mediated metabolic shift in Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis LSCE1.

Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis LSCE1 was selected as a target organism originating from recurrently refreshed sourdough to study the metabolic rerouting associated with the acid stress exposure during sourdough fermentation. In particular, the acid stress induced a metabolic shift toward overproduction of 3-methylbutanoic and 2-methylbutanoic acids accompanied by reduced sugar consumption and primary carbohydrate metabolite production. The fate of labeled leucine, the role of different nutrients and precursors, and the expression of the genes involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism were evaluated at pH 3.6 and 5.8. The novel application of the program XCMS to the solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) data allowed accurate separation and quantification of 2-methylbutanoic and 3-methylbutanoic acids, generally reported as a cumulative datum. The metabolites coming from BCAA catabolism increased up to seven times under acid stress. The gene expression analysis confirmed that some genes associated with BCAA catabolism were overexpressed under acid conditions. The experiment with labeled leucine showed that 2-methylbutanoic acid originated also from leucine. While the overproduction of 3-methylbutanoic acid under acid stress can be attributed to the need to maintain redox balance, the rationale for the production of 2-methylbutanoic acid from leucine can be found in a newly proposed biosynthesis pathway leading to 2-methylbutanoic acid and 3 mol of ATP per mol of leucine. Leucine catabolism to 3-methylbutanoic and 2-methylbutanoic acids suggests that the switch from sugar to amino acid catabolism supports growth in L. sanfranciscensis in restricted environments such as sourdough characterized by acid stress and recurrent carbon starvation.

Use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains endowed with ß-glucosidase activity for the production of Sangiovese wine.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the suitability of four strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae endowed with in vitro ß-glucosidase activity to improve the Sangiovese wine aroma profiles. In particular the effects of the strains on fermentation kinetics, wine sugar and acid concentrations, volatile molecule profiles and colour parameters were evaluated. Moreover their effects on anthocyanins, anthocyanidins and poliphenols were evaluated. These four strains of S. cerevisiae were tested in comparison with one commercial strain and with a spontaneous fermentation in the presence and in the absence of paraffin oil. The results showed that the four wild strains had high fermentation rates and an efficient conversion of grape sugars to alcohol. However, each strain imparted specific features to the wine. AS11 and AS15 gave rise to wine having low volatile acidity values associated to high levels of linalool and nerolidol. They provoked decrease of anthocyanins accompanied by the increase of some anthocyanidins. S. cerevisiae BV12 and BV14 showed the best performances producing wines with the lowest residual sugar contents and volatile acidity values, high levels of nerolidol and citronellol without detrimental effects on wine colour.

Potentialities of high-pressure homogenization to inactivate Zygosaccharomyces bailii in fruit juices.

UNLABELLED: This experimental work was aimed to evaluate the effects of repeated high-pressure homogenization (HPH) treatments at 100 MPa on the inactivation and regrowth of Zygosaccharomyces bailii inoculated in apricot and carrot juices. Thus, the spoilage yeast was inoculated in both the juices at level of about 5 log CFU/g and the 2 systems were treated with a lab-scale Panda homogenizer for 8 passes at 100 MPa. Microbiological and chemico-physical analyses were performed immediately after the treatment and during the juice storage at room temperature. Microbial data highlighted that yeast inactivation increased with the number of passes applied. Eight passes at 100 MPa allowed yeast inactivation higher than 2.5 log CFU/mL regardless of the juice considered. On the contrary, the juice type affected the yeast fate (growth or death) over the storage at 25 degrees C. In fact, Z. bailii was able to attain the spoilage threshold (6 log CFU/mL) in apricot juice, although with growth kinetics dependent of the survivor levels after HPH treatment. In carrot juice this microorganism was unable to recover over the storage in the most severely treated samples. The HPH treatment had a significant effect on apricot juice pH and viscosity, while no significant effect was observed in carrot juice. The viscosity measurements showed that the application of one pass at 100 MPa resulted in the triplication of apricot viscosity index. No further significant viscosity increase (P > 0.05) was observed increasing the number of passes at 100 MPa. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results obtained in the present study and the proposed technology could be exploited by the industries of the beverage sector to increase the shelf life of these kinds of products. Moreover, from a technological point of view, the increase of viscosity, following the high-pressure homogenization treatment, represents a tool to expand the product gamma without the use of gelling additives or thermal treatments, which are detrimental for the sensorial and nutritional properties of this kind of products.

Synthesis of cyclopropane fatty acids in Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis and their cellular fatty acids changes following short term acid and cold stresses.

An implemented GC method to separate and quantify the cell cyclopropane fatty acids lactobacillic (C19cyc11) and dehydrosterculic (C19cyc9) was used to study the adaptive response to sublethal acid and cold stresses in Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. The comparison of the composition of cellular fatty acids of the two strains and their changes after 2 h of stress exposure under micro-aerobic and anaerobic conditions indicated that the aerobic biosynthetic pathway for unsaturated fatty acids is prevalent in L. sanfranciscensis, while the anaerobic pathway is prevalent in L. helveticus. Indeed in the latter strain, in the presence of a source of oleic acid and under micro-aerobic conditions, C18:1n11 and its post-synthetic derivative C19cyc11 accounted for overall proportion ranging from 52 to 28% of the total FAs. On the other hand L. sanfranciscensis synthesizes by aerobic pathway C18:1n9 and transforms it to C19cyc9. However in this species the cumulative level of these two FAs did not exceed 30%. The relevant proportion of dodecanoic acid in the latter species suggests that carbon chain shortening is the principal strategy of L. sanfranciscensis to modulate fluidity or chemico-physical properties of the membranes.

Effect of high pressure homogenization on Saccharomyces cerevisiae inactivation and physico-chemical features in apricot and carrot juices.

This experimental work aimed to evaluate the potential of high pressure homogenization (HPH) to inactivate Saccharomyces cerevisiae 635 inoculated both in apricot and carrot juices. The sensitivity of the yeast was evaluated both in relation to its initial inoculum level (about 3.0 and 6.0 Log(10) cfu/ml) and number of passes applied at 100 MPa. Moreover, the effects of repeated pressure treatments at 100 MPa were evaluated for pH, water activity and viscosity of carrot and apricot juices. Data obtained showed that repeated high pressure homogenization passes at 100 MPa allowed a significant inactivation of the spoilage yeast inoculated in both juices. However, as expected, the inactivation of the considered strain was greatly affected by the food matrix. In fact, a higher viability loss of S. cerevisiae 635 was observed in carrot juice than in apricot juice. Concerning the recovery, data obtained showed that the decrease of the inoculum level to 3.0 Log(10) cfu/ml prevented (at least for 6 days) cell proliferation in the samples of apricot and carrot juices treated with more than four and seven passes, respectively. Also the refrigeration of the treated samples prevented cell recovery and, in some cases, induced a further decrease in cell viability also in the samples inoculated with 6.0 Log(10) cfu/ml allowing a further increase in the juice shelf-life. An interesting and promising result was the enhanced viscosity of apricot juices treated up to five passes at 100 MPa.

Effect of a synbiotic food consumption on human gut metabolic profiles evaluated by (1)H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy.

The capacity of human lactobacilli and bifidobacteria to produce metabolites under conditions that may prevail in the human intestine has been studied "in vitro". However, the effect of systematic probiotic consumption on human metabolic phenotype has not been investigated in faeces. This paper shows the potential for the use of (1)H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ((1)H NMR) spectroscopy for studying the changes of the metabolic profiles of human faecal slurries. Faeces of 16 subjects, characterized by different natural levels of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria were recovered before and after 1 month of supplementation with a synbiotic food based on Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum and fructooligosaccharides, and analyzed by (1)H NMR. Multivariate statistical approach has been applied to the data obtained and particularly Canonical Discriminant Analysis of Principal Coordinates (CAP). More than 150 molecules belonging to short chain fatty acids, organic acids, esters, alcohols and amino acids were detected and quantified in the samples considered. The number and the extent of these molecules in faecal slurries were strongly affected by the synbiotic food consumption and gave rise to characteristic metabolic signature. In particular, the short chain fatty acid concentrations significantly increased while the amino acids contents decreased. The comparison of the data indicated that the intake of the synbiotic food alters the host metabolism in a measure dependent on the initial level of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria detected in the faecal specimens. The analysis of (1)H NMR profiles with CAP allowed a separation of faecal samples of the subjects on the basis of the synbiotic food intake. The multivariate statistical approach used demonstrated the potential of NMR metabolic profiles to provide biomarkers of the gut-microbial activity related to dietary supplementation of probiotics.

Different fecal microbiotas and volatile organic compounds in treated and untreated children with celiac disease.

This study aimed at investigating the fecal microbiotas of children with celiac disease (CD) before (U-CD) and after (T-CD) they were fed a gluten-free diet and of healthy children (HC). Brothers or sisters of T-CD were enrolled as HC. Each group consisted of seven children. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis with V3 universal primers revealed a unique profile for each fecal sample. PCR-DGGE analysis with group- or genus-specific 16S rRNA gene primers showed that the Lactobacillus community of U-CD changed significantly, while the diversity of the Lactobacillus community of T-CD was quite comparable to that of HC. Compared to HC, the ratio of cultivable lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacterium to Bacteroides and enterobacteria was lower in T-CD and even lower in U-CD. The percentages of strains identified as lactobacilli differed as follows: HC (ca. 38%) > T-CD (ca. 17%) > U-CD (ca. 10%). Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus rossiae, and Lactobacillus pentosus were identified only in fecal samples from T-CD and HC. Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, and Lactobacillus gasseri were identified only in several fecal samples from HC. Compared to HC, the composition of Bifidobacterium species of T-CD varied, and it varied even more for U-CD. Forty-seven volatile organic compounds (VOCs) belonging to different chemical classes were identified using gas-chromatography mass spectrometry-solid-phase microextraction analysis. The median concentrations varied markedly for HC, T-CD, and U-CD. Overall, the r(2) values for VOC data for brothers and sisters were equal to or lower than those for unrelated HC and T-CD. This study shows the effect of CD pathology on the fecal microbiotas of children.

Depuration of striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina L.): effects on microorganisms, sand content, and mortality.

This study was focused on the evaluation of the microbiological indices, defined by European legislation, before and after the depuration of clams (Chamelea gallina) landed in category B seawater. The survival of depurated clams and the meat yield were also evaluated. The results obtained from October 2002 to September 2003 evidenced a mean microbial reduction during depuration of 62% for Escherichia coli and 54% for fecal coliforms (FC). All the samples had FC counts below the limit after 24 h depuration with the exception of the August samples. E. coli was found in concentration slightly higher than the legal limit only in the samples of December and January. In August, the E. coli concentration did not decrease during the depuration, while in the other samples significant reduction of E. coli concentration was observed. Salmonella spp. and V. parahaemolyticus were never detected in the clams harvested between March and September. Vibrio alginolyticus was found in the clams harvested in May and September both before and after the depuration process. The viability of clam was not negatively affected by depuration, in fact, an increase of viability was observed with the exception of the samples of April. The meat yield was not influenced by the depurative treatment in C. gallina; the mean value found before depuration, 10.47% (with 1.95 SD), did not significantly vary after the treatment (10.58%, SD 2.07). In conclusion, the depuration conditions can improve the quality of C. gallina; however, its effects on microbiological quality depended on environmental conditions.

Suitability of high pressure-homogenized milk for the production of probiotic fermented milk containing Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

High pressure homogenization (HPH) is one of the most promising alternatives to traditional thermal treatment for food preservation and diversification. In order to evaluate its potential for the production of fermented milks carrying probiotic bacteria, four types of fermented milks were manufactured from HPH treated and heat treated (HT) milk with and without added probiotics. Microbiological, physicochemical and organoleptic analyses were carried out during the refrigerated period (35 d at 4 degrees C). HPH application to milk did not modify the viability of the probiotic cultures but did increase the cell loads of the starter cultures (ca. 1 log order) compared with traditional products. The coagula from HPH-milk was significantly more compacted (P<0.05) (higher firmness) than that obtained with HT-milk, and it had the highest values of consistency, cohesiveness and viscosity indexes compared with fermented milks produced without HPH treatment. All the samples received high sensory analysis scores for each descriptor considered. HPH treatment of milk can potentially diversify the market for probiotic fermented milks, especially in terms of texture parameters.