Effect of brine composition and brining temperature on cheese physical properties in Ragusano cheese.

Composition and physical properties of cheeses are influenced by temperature, salt, and calcium concentration of brine. This work aimed to examine conditions of brine under which the cheese matrix contracts or expands in absence of restrictions imposed by surface rind development during overnight block formation. Three experimental 4-kg blocks of Ragusano cheese were produced at 3 different stretching temperatures (70, 80, and 90°C) and cut into pieces weighing approximately 40 to 50 g. One piece from each was chemically analyzed at time 0. All other pieces were measured for weight and volume and placed in plastic bags containing 300 mL of different brine solutions (2% NaCl with 0.1% Ca; 10% NaCl with 0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.4% Ca; 18% NaCl with 0.1% Ca; and 26% NaCl with 0.1% Ca) at 3 different temperatures (4, 12, and 20°C). After 24h of brining, the cheeses were analyzed for weight, volume, chemical, and microstructural changes. Salt concentration in brine significantly influenced composition, weight, and volume of the cheeses after brining. Salt concentration was inversely related to cheese volume and weight. Changes in weight caused by altering the brining temperature were sufficient to reach statistical significance, and statistically significant volume changes were induced by brining temperature and its interaction with salt content. The highest volume increase (30%) occurred in the cheese stored in the 2% NaCl brine at the coldest temperature, whereas the greatest volume decrease was recorded in cheeses brined in the 26% NaCl brine. Composition was not affected by brining temperature. Calcium concentration did influence weight, volume, and composition, except on a fat-on-dry-basis. When cheeses were brined without added calcium, cheese volume and weight increased at all temperatures. At high calcium levels (0.4%), syneresis occurred and volume decreased, especially at 20°C (-16.5%). Microstructural investigation with porosity measurement confirmed weight and volume changes.

Sperm count of young men surgically treated for cryptorchidism in the first and second year of life: fertility is better in children treated at a younger age.

INTRODUCTION: Recent data has indicated the usefulness of performing orchiopexy in the first years of life. In this study, we evaluated testicular function in young men operated on for cryptorchidism in the first year of life. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the effects of such an early treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Testicular function was assessed in a group of young men operated for cryptorchidism during the first year of life (Group A, n=13) and during the second year of life (Group B, n=16). RESULTS: Total sperm counts were clearly higher in Group A (52.3+/-14.3 million/ml vs. 30.4+/-23.5 million/ml, p=0.005) as was sperm motility (36.2+/-8.7 vs. 23.1+/-15.7%, p=0.009). A clear inverse relationship was found between age at orchiopexy and total sperm count (r=-0.394, p=0.034) and sperm motility (r=-0.382, p=0.041). The relationship between volume of testes, position at surgery, uni/bilaterality of cryptorchidism, evidence of Ad spermatogonia at biopsy performed during surgery and treatment with LHRH and hCG performed before surgery and fertility was not significant. The latter findings may be partially explained by the low number of patients participating in the study and need further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: We obtained, for the first time, results showing the benefit of treating cryptorchidism during the first year of life rather than in the second year or even later.

Lipolysis and proteolysis in Ragusano cheese during brine salting at different temperatures.

The influence of temperature (12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 degrees C) of saturated brine on lipolysis and proteolysis in 3.8-kg blocks of Ragusano cheese during 24 d of brining was determined. Twenty-six 3.8-kg blocks were made on each day. The cheese making was replicated on 3 different days. All blocks were labeled and weighed prior to brining. One block was sampled and analyzed prior to brine salting. Five blocks were placed into each of 5 different brine tanks at different temperatures. One block was removed from each brine tank after 1, 4, 8, 16, and 24 d of brining, weighed, sampled, and analyzed. Both proteolysis and lipolysis in Ragusano cheese increased with increasing brine temperature (from 12 to 24 degrees C), with the impact of brine temperature on proteolysis and lipolysis becoming progressively larger. Proteolysis was highest in the interior of the blocks where salt in moisture content was lowest and temperature had more impact on proteolysis in the interior position of the block than the exterior position. However, the opposite was true for lipolysis. The total free fatty acid content was higher and temperature had more impact on lipolysis at the exterior position of the block where salt in moisture was the highest. This effect of increased salt concentration on lipolysis was confirmed with direct salted cheeses in a small follow-up experiment. Lipolysis increased with increasing salt in the moisture content of the direct salted cheeses. It is likely that migration of water-soluble FFA from the brine into the cheese and from the interior portion of the cheese to the exterior portion of the cheese also contributed to a higher level of FFA at the exterior portion of the blocks. As brine temperature increased the profile of individual free fatty acids released from triglycerides changed, with the proportion of short-chain free fatty acids increasing with increasing brine temperature. This effect was largest at high salt in moisture content.

Comparison between TaqMan and LightCycler technologies for quantification of minimal residual disease by using immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor genes consensus probes.

Quantification of residual leukemic cells at early time points during therapy can reliably predict the outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Recently, semiquantitative minimal residual disease (MRD) detection assays such as dot-blot hybridization have been replaced by real-time quantitative PCR. We tested the flexibility of the two most used real-time PCR machines: the SDS 7700 or 'TaqMan' (TM) (Applied Biosystems) and the LightCycler (LC) (Roche) instruments. Clonal T-cell receptor and immunoglobulin gene rearrangements were used for MRD detection with germline hydrolyzation probes and clone-specific primers. Sensitivity tests for 65 clonal gene rearrangements and MRD quantification in 90 bone marrow samples during therapy of 49 children with ALL at diagnosis or relapse were performed with both machines. Both real-time PCR systems provided specific results for MRD quantification in all follow-up samples. In conclusion, we were able to demonstrate that TM and LC real-time PCR technologies produce similar MRD quantification results and that the quantification assays can be easily transferred from one detection system to the other. Using the same detection format, both techniques can be applied in combination in multicenter MRD studies.

Testicular function in men treated in childhood for undescended testes.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate testicular hormones and sperm counts of young men treated in childhood for cryptorchidism METHODS: Testicular volume, serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone as well as semen specimens were evaluated in 57 men (mean age, 19 years; range, 18 to 27 years) treated in childhood for unilateral (n = 47) and bilateral (n = 10) cryptorchidism. In 3 unilateral cases monorchidism was found. Thirty-seven patients underwent orchiopexy after hormonal treatment (luteinizing hormone releasing factor, 1.2 mg/d for 28 days followed by human chorionic gonadotropin, 500 IU intramuscularly 3 times a week for 3 weeks). The remainder underwent surgery. Mean age at surgical treatment was 5.4 years (range, 2 to 12 years). These patients were examinated again after a mean period of 13.3 years (range, 10 to 19 years). RESULTS: Reduced testicular volume (<12 mL) was found in 6 of 64 testes (9.3%). LH, FSH, and testosterone levels were found within the normal range in all patients. With linear regression, inverse relations were found between FSH and, respectively, testicular volume (P =.002), sperm concentration (P =.013), sperm motility (P =.023), and normally shaped sperms (P =.019). There were direct relations between testicular volume and sperm concentration (P =.02), sperm motility (P =.000), and normally shaped sperms (P =.001). We did not find any statistical correlation between age at surgery and semen quality. Significantly better results in terms of sperm counts were found in patients directly operated on in comparison to those treated with hormones before orchiopexy. CONCLUSIONS: Presented data indicate tubular impairment in young men operated on in childhood for cryptorchidism; FSH values increase and testicular volume decrease are related to sperm deterioration. Studies on children treated in the first 2 years of life are required to clarify the usefulness of early treatment of cryptorchidism.

Composition of Ragusano cheese during aging.

Ragusano cheese is a brine-salted pasta filata cheese. Composition changes during 12 mo of aging were determined. Historically, Ragusano cheese has been aged in caves at 14 to 16 degrees C with about 80 to 90% relative humidity. Cheeses (n = 132) included in our study of block-to-block variation were produced by 20 farmhouse cheese makers in the Hyblean plain region of the Province of Ragusa in Sicily. Mean initial cheese block weight was about 14 kg. The freshly formed blocks of cheese before brine salting contained about 45.35% moisture, 25.3% protein, and 25.4% fat, with a pH of 5.25. As result of the brining and aging process, a natural rind forms. After 12 mo of aging, the cheese contained about 33.6% moisture, 29.2% protein, 30.0% fat, and 4.4% salt with a pH of 5.54, but block-to-block variation was large. Both soluble nitrogen content and free fatty acid (FFA) content increased with age. The pH 4.6 acetate buffer and 12% TCA-soluble nitrogen as a percentage of total nitrogen were 16 and 10.7%, respectively, whereas the FFA content was about 643 mg/100 g of cheese at 180 d. Five blocks of cheese were selected at 180 d for a study of variation within block. Composition variation within block was large; the center had higher moisture and lower salt in moisture content than did the outside. Composition variation within blocks favored more proteolysis and softer texture in the center.

[Spermatic phlebography and sclerotherapy of the male varicocele]. / Flebografia spermatica e scleroterapia del varicocele maschile.

Phlebographic sclerotherapy and embolization are better methods, from the biological and cost-effectiveness viewpoints, to treat male varicocele than conventional surgery. On the other hand, positive technical results are not always obtained and the rates of relapses and recurrences are high. A retrospective study was carried out on 70 (of 81) sclerotherapies performed in the Radiology Department of S. Anna Hospital, Turin, from 1993 to September, 1995. The results confirmed the feasibility of this treatment in a nonangiographic department, with technical success rates increasing with growing operators' experience (70% success rate in 1993, vs. more than 95% in 1994-95). Recurrence rate was 4.9% and the rate of limited persistence was 7.3% at clinical and Doppler follow-up ranging 6-24 months (mean: 10.2 months). Both rates appeared to be related to varicocele initial size, increasing progressively from grade I to grade III. Therefore, such new and expensive techniques as balloon or spiral embolization are justified only in the most severe cases. The follow-up showed improved or normalized sperm exams in 70.4% of treated and followed-up patients, with 5 full-term pregnancies. To conclude, sclerotherapy and embolization of the spermatic vein are very good tools to treat male varicocele with subfertility.

Andrological and hormonal findings in subjects with ductus deferens agenesia.

The aim of our study has been the complete andrological and endocrinological evaluation of seven cases of bilateral ductus deferens agenesia. In all cases testicular biopsy demonstrated a normal spermatogenesis. Urographic examination showed, in four cases, the existence of congenital anomalies of the urinary tract. The presence of spermioagglutinating and spermimmobilizing antibodies in blood and in seminal plasma was excluded in all cases. Basal and stimulated levels of FSH, LH, PRL and testosterone were within normal limits. Surgical exploration of seminal tracts and bilateral collection of sperm at the caudal portion of the epididymis appear to be mandatory in order to select the cases for surgical therapeutic approach.