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Circulatory Imbalance of Essential and Toxic Trace Elements in Pre-dialysis and Hemodialysis Patients
No full textThe status of essential and toxic trace elements in patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is still unclear and not well characterized. The present study examined the circulatory levels of a wide panel of trace elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cd, Pb, and U) in hemodialysis patients (HD group) and pre-dialysis patients with stage 3 CKD (PD group). Comparisons were made between groups of patients and healthy individuals from the control group (CG). The levels of Al, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Sr, and Pb were higher, while the levels of Cr, Zn, Rb, Cd, and U were lower in HD patients than in our CG. Higher levels of Al and Se, as well as lower levels of As, Sr, Zn, Rb, and U were significant and distinguished HD from PD. Among other analyzed elements, Co, Se, and U are the only trace elements that did not distinguish PD from CG at a statistically significant level. The HD group had lower serum U levels than the PD group, and this could be a result of hemodialysis. This study also revealed that the Cu/Zn ratio could be used as a marker for early and late detection of renal failure. Marked changes of essential and toxic trace element levels in sera indicate additional pathophysiological events in CKD, which could additionally contribute to the preexisting increased morbidity of HD patients. Measurement of trace elements in HD patients should be performed routinely
Exploring Meteorological Conditions and Human Health Impacts during Two Dust Storm Events in Northern Cape Province, South Africa: Findings and Lessons Learnt
Get PDFDust storms are meteorological hazards associated with several adverse health impacts including eye irritations, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, and vehicular road accidents due to poor visibility. This study investigated relations between admissions from a large, public hospital that serves people living in Northern Cape and Free State provinces, South Africa during 2011 to 2017, and meteorological variables (temperature and air quality) during two dust storms, one in October 2014 (spring) and the second in January 2016 (summer), identified from the media as no repository of such events exists for South Africa. Distributed nonlinear lag analysis and wavelet transform analysis were applied to explore the relationships between hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye irritation, and motor vehicle accidents; maximum temperature, and two air quality ‘proxy measures,’ aerosol optical depth and Ångström exponent, were used as ground-based air quality data were unavailable. Eye irritation was the most common dust-related hospital admission after both dust storm events. No statistically significant changes in admissions of interest occurred at the time of the two dust storm events, using either of the statistical methods. Several lessons were learnt. For this type of study, ground-based air quality and local wind data are required; alternative statistical methods of analysis should be considered; and a central dust storm repository would help analyze more than two events. Future studies in South Africa are needed to develop a baseline for comparison of future dust storm events and their impacts on human health
Effects of the Task Complexity on the Single Movement Response Time of Upper and Lower Limbs in Police Officers
Get PDFPolice officers occasionally encounter belligerents resisting or even physically assaulting them without or with objects. The self-defense or legal utilization of use of force to disable the offender from harming an officer or others may depend on a single movement speed of hands and legs. This study investigated the effects of task complexity on a single movement response time of the upper and lower limbs in police officers. The sample consisted of 32 male police officers aged between 23 and 50 years. They performed a single movement as fast as possible with their upper and lower limb in three incrementally more complex tasks. In the first task, participants acted on a light signal and with their dominant limb they had to turn off the signal as fast as possible. In the second task, on the light signal, participants could turn off the light with free choice of the upper limb in a hand task or lower limb in a leg task. In the third task, participants had to turn the light off with the right limb if the light turned red and with the left limb if the light turned blue. The BlazePod device was used to assess the movement response time. The results show that there was a significant effect of task complexity on the single movement response time of the hand (F = 24.5, p < 0.001) and leg (F = 46.2, p < 0.001). The training of police officers should utilize specific and situational tasks to improve movement response time by improving the redundancy in decision-making processes during work-specific tasks of different complexity
The Effect of Fish Oil-Based Foods on Lipid and Oxidative Status Parameters in Police Dogs
Get PDFThe synthesis, degradation, and reconstruction of the cell membrane as a metabolic pathway of phospholipids is a constant and dynamic process. Fatty acids as bioactive lipid components of plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids as structural lipids have biological roles in the integrity of cell membranes. Fatty acids, depending on the chain length, the degree of saturation, and the synthesis pathways, can alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress caused by excessive exercise. Considering that changing food intake or diet can influence fatty acid phospholipid metabolism, our study aimed to determine the potential benefits of fish-based diets in working (police) dogs undergoing intensive training concerning bioactive lipids such as fatty acids, phospholipids of plasma, and erythrocytes. Fatty acid esters’ composition of plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids as a bioactive lipids, in addition to markers of oxidative stress and metabolic parameters, were analysed by GC chromatography. The food was well tolerated by all dogs, and the compliance to the diet was high throughout the study. After the treatment with fish-based food, blood glucose, total, and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly reduced, indicating positive biochemical profiles of dogs. Correlations of fatty acid phospholipid compositions between plasma and erythrocytes have shown that both plasma and erythrocytes could represent markers of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid intake levels in dogs. Morover, fish-based food supplementation caused a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation markers. The enrichment of dogs’ diets with marine fish could improve oxidative status and improve roles and status of bioactive lipids, such as membrane phospholipids and fatty acids, as its components in plasma and erythrocytes in police dogs exposed to intensive exercise
Structural characterization of Toxoplasma gondii brain cysts in immunosuppressed mice using ImageJ software
No full textEFFECTS OF APOCYNIN TREATMENT AND HBO PRECONDITIONING ON IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL 4-HNE, HIF1 ALPHA, HIF2 ALPHA AND NGAL TISSUE EXPRESSION IN POSTISCEMIC ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN SHR RATS
No full textAge and gender associated changes in immunoglobulin subclass levels specific to S. pneumoniae, serotype 1
No full textS. pneumoniae is an important human pathogen which has a polysaccharide capsule with virulent properties. This work aims to estimate the titres of S. pneumoniae specific IgG and IgA isotypes, with respect to age and sex. An in-house whole bacterial cell ELISA was used for the determination of relative levels and endpoint titres of IgG subclasses and IgA1 subclass specific for S. pneumoniae serogroup 1, and to quantify specific IgG1 and IgG2 levels. Significantly lower anti-pneumococcus IgG1 titres were found in older individuals, which was more pronounced in men. Lower IgG2 titres were detected in men over 50 years of age, in comparison to women under 50 years of age. The levels of IgG3 and IgG4 did not differ between different sex and age groups. Lower IgA1 levels were detected in male individuals in both age groups in comparison to females under 50 years of age. The levels of IgG1 showed a moderate correlation with IgG4 in younger individuals of both sexes (r = 0.61 in men and 0.63 in women) which was not noted in the older age group. We highlight the deficiency in humoral immunity in older people, especially male and suggest immunization of this population with pneumococcal vaccines
Potential health benefits of blueberry and raspberry pomace as functional food ingredients: Dietetic intervention study on healthy women volunteers
Get PDFThe fruit juice industry generates pomace as a valuable by-product especially rich in polyphenols, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids. In the cookies used in this study, 30% of the gluten-free flour was replaced with dried and ground blueberry and raspberry pomace, rich source of polyphenols, dietary fibers, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid. In order to examine whether the addition of blueberry and raspberry pomace in cookie formulation can have beneficial effects on certain blood parameters and anthropometric measurements, the designed cookies were tested in 20 healthy, normally fed female subjects, aged 30–50 years (41.35 ± 8.58 years) over four-week dietetic intervention study. Significant changes in the composition of fatty acids serum phospholipids, decrease in LDL-cholesterol level (20.16%), increase in adiponectin level (25.52%) and decrease in ALT and AST values were observed, thus indicating that inclusion of cookies containing blueberry and raspberry dried and ground pomace to usual diet might have positive effects on certain cardiovascular risk factors and liver function indicators
Optimization of the extraction of antioxidants from stinging nettle leaf using response surface methodology
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to optimize the parameters for the extraction of total flavonoids from stinging nettle leaf. Comparison of the effects of different solvents on total flavonoid content showed that, regardless of extraction time, aqueous methanolicextracts had higher total flavonoid content than did aqueous ethanolic extracts. So, full factorial design and response surface methodology (RSM) were em-ployed to estimate the effects of methanol content (50, 75and 100%) and extraction time (30, 60and 90 min) on the total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacities of the extracts. RSM analysis showed that methanol content in the solvent influenced significantly total flavonoid content and FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) antioxidant capacity, while extraction time had no significant effect on either of these responses. Extraction parameters for maximal total flavonoid content were estimated to be 69% aqueous methanol and 67 min, and 65% aqueous methanol and 83 min for maximal FRAPantioxidantcapacity. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) antioxidant capacity was not significantly affected by extraction time or methanol percentage in the solvent
Implementation of Harmonized Food Consumption Data Collection in the Balkan Region According to the EFSA EU Menu Methodology Standards
Get PDFInitiatives in the Capacity Development in Nutrition Research in the Balkan region in the last decade have been toward the creation of contemporary, harmonized Research Infrastructure (RI) compliant with European standards. This study describes the process of creation and implementation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) EU Menu methodology in the Balkan region during the EFSA support projects for food consumption data collection in four countries (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia). This process entailed the application and improvement of an innovative tool, the DIET ASSESS and PLAN (DAP), a platform for standardized food consumption data collection and dietary intake assessment. DAP comprises computerized food consumption, anthropometric measurements, and physical activity questionnaires, validated food picture book, and FoodEx2 exposure hierarchy with sets of facet descriptors of the interest. It hosts the Balkan food platform with a Serbian food composition database (FCDB) and Regional FCDB, compliant with European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR™) standards. The implementation of the DAP platform in national dietary surveys conducted with the support of the EFSA EU Menu project in Balkan countries enabled harmonized food consumption data compilation and reporting. Application of the methodology entailed the development of study protocol and extensive education and training of study personnel. The entire data collection process was managed by internal and external survey coordinators. A pilot study was conducted to test the entire data collection and control process and was afterward used to make necessary improvements and adjustments to meet EU Menu requirements. Data collected are internationally comparable with food consumption data in other European countries within the framework of the EU Menu program. The existence of such data in the Balkan region will catalyze research activities in emerging topics, such as identification of dietary patterns, the establishment of national nutrient reference values and food-based dietary guidelines (not only in Serbia, but in the whole Balkan region), dietary exposure assessments, the endorsement and evaluation of new food legislations, the environmental and other effects of diet on the food system. The developed and implemented methodology underpins evidence-based policy-making processes lacking in the field of public health nutrition in the region