Reproductive life characteristics in females affected with Parkinson's disease and in healthy control subjects – a comparative study on Polish population

Background Sex and blood level of sex hormones play a key role not only in the susceptibility to develop Parkinson's disease (PD) but also influence the natural course of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare reproductive lifespan events in females affected with PD and in “non-parkinsonian” age matched subjects and to evaluate whether the whole life endogenous oestrogen level is associated with variables describing the course of the disease. Materials and methods Reproductive lifespan, age at menarche, age at menopause, gynaecological interventions and parity were compared in 76 women with idiopathic PD and in the age-adjusted control group of 74 subjects. Affected women underwent neurological and psychological assessment. Data were analysed using Mann–Whitney U Test and Spearman Rank Correlation Test. Results Women affected with PD had a shorter reproductive lifespan and experienced final menstruation earlier than the control group. Early menopause was reported by 24% of the patients and only by 16% of the control subjects. Parkinsonian women reported more commonly the history of surgical menopause. Duration of reproductive lifespan, age at menopause and the type of menopause influenced both motor and cognitive functioning of patients. Conclusions There may be a relationship between the lifetime average endogenous oestrogen level and the susceptibility to develop PD. Longer reproductive lifespan resulting in higher “whole life” female sex steroids concentrations may exert a protective effect on central nervous system, resulting in milder course of the disease

Correlated metals and the LDA+U method

While LDA+U method is well established for strongly correlated materials with well localized orbitals, its application to weakly correlated metals is questionable. By extending the LDA Stoner approach onto LDA+U, we show that LDA+U enhances the Stoner factor, while reducing the density of states. Arguably the most important correlation effects in metals, fluctuation-induced mass renormalization and suppression of the Stoner factor, are missing from LDA+U. On the other hand, for {\it moderately} correlated metals LDA+U may be useful. With this in mind, we derive a new version of LDA+U that is consistent with the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem and can be formulated as a constrained density functional theory. We illustrate all of the above on concrete examples, including the controversial case of magnetism in FeAl.Comment: Substantial changes. In particular, examples of application of the proposed functional are adde

Lactic acidosis occurrence during exercises in the smoke chamber in a 53-year-old firefighter with no significant medical history

Lactic acidosis is a form of metabolic acidosis with a high anion gap, reduced rate of arterial blood pH under 7.35 mmol/l, and lactic acid concentration over 7 mmol/l. In the literature we can find some descriptions of the cases of lactic acidosis in patients with severe systemic diseases (cancer, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, sepsis, diabetes with cardiovascular disease and after organ transplantations). We present the case of lactic acidosis in a patient with no chronic disease - a firefighter in whom lactic acidosis has developed during standard exercises in the smoke chamber

X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure calculations with pseudopotentials. Application to K-edge in diamond and alpha-quartz

We present a reciprocal-space pseudopotential scheme for calculating X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra. The scheme incorporates a recursive method to compute absorption cross section as a continued fraction. The continued fraction formulation of absorption is advantageous in that it permits the treatment of core-hole interaction through large supercells (hundreds of atoms). The method is compared with recently developed Bethe-Salpeter approach. The method is applied to the carbon K-edge in diamond and to the silicon and oxygen K-edges in alpha-quartz for which polarized XANES spectra were measured. Core-hole effects are investigated by varying the size of the supercell, thus leading to information similar to that obtained from cluster size analysis usually performed within multiple scattering calculations.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

The Effects of Cocaine on Different Redox Forms of Cysteine and Homocysteine, and on Labile, Reduced Sulfur in the Rat Plasma Following Active versus Passive Drug Injections

Received: 28 November 2012 / Revised: 19 April 2013 / Accepted: 6 May 2013 / Published online: 16 May 2013 The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.comThe aim of the present studies was to evaluate cocaine-induced changes in the concentrations of different redox forms of cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy), and products of anaerobic Cys metabolism, i.e., labile, reduced sulfur (LS) in the rat plasma. The above-mentioned parameters were determined after i.p. acute and subchronic cocaine treatment as well as following i.v. cocaine self-administration using the yoked procedure. Additionally, Cys, Hcy, and LS levels were measured during the 10-day extinction training in rats that underwent i.v. cocaine administration. Acute i.p. cocaine treatment increased the total and protein-bound Hcy contents, decreased LS, and did not change the concentrations of Cys fractions in the rat plasma. In turn, subchronic i.p. cocaine administration significantly increased free Hcy and lowered the total and protein-bound Cys concentrations while LS level was unchanged. Cocaine self-administration enhanced the total and protein-bound Hcy levels, decreased LS content, and did not affect the Cys fractions. On the other hand, yoked cocaine infusions did not alter the concentration of Hcy fractions while decreased the total and protein-bound Cys and LS content. This extinction training resulted in the lack of changes in the examined parameters in rats with a history of cocaine self-administration while in the yoked cocaine group an increase in the plasma free Cys fraction and LS was seen. Our results demonstrate for the first time that cocaine does evoke significant changes in homeostasis of thiol amino acids Cys and Hcy, and in some products of anaerobic Cys metabolism, which are dependent on the way of cocaine administration

Zanieczyszczenie środowiska wodnego azotem i fosforem wskutek corocznego nawożenia gleby lekkiej

This review presents results of investigation from 6 years studies of an annual light soil fertilization with nitrogen-phosphorus influence on quantity of nitrogen and phosphorus penetration to water environment. The studies were done in lysimeters filled with light-clayey sand co ntaining ca 14 % of earthy particles. In this studies two variants of compost fertilization (K1 – 10 and K2 – 15 g N m–2) were used. Additionally two variants of NPK with equivalent doses of nitrogen as an ammonium nitrate supplemented with PK as a superphosphate and potassium salt were applied. The results showed the increase of concentrations of nitrogen in the soil leachates, especially nitrates, with increasing doses of fertilizer. In the variants of fertilization with compost the share of N-NO3 in the N total in leachate was also much smaller. The ratio of N-NO3:N in leachate from the soil fertilized by compost was 41–77 %. In the case of leachate from the soil fertilized by ammonium sulphate this ratio was much higher and was in the range 59–95 %. During the time of fertilization there was observed intense increase of quantity of nitrogen eluted from the soil, which indicated on the presence of this element in the soil. Additionally the results showed, that not only mineral forms of nitrogen are leached from the soil, but also nitrogen contained in soluble organic compounds, especially when soil was fertilized by compost. The total quantity of nitrogen drained in leachates from soil were 15–17 % of the total quantity of nitrogen supplied to the soil in the variants with compost fertilization, and about 25 % in the variants with mineral fertilization. Content of the phosphorus in the leachate from the soil, in contrast to the nitrogen, were relatively small and did not show depending on the type and dose of fertilizer, or the passage of time from the application of fertilizer. Phosphorus leaching from the soil was negligible. In all fertilization variants quantity of leached phosphorus were less than 1 % of the quantity supplied to the soil with fertilizers.W pracy przedstawiono wyniki 6-letnich badań wpływu corocznego nawożenia gleby lekkiej nawozami mineralnymi i kompostem na ilości azotu i fosforu przenikające do środowiska wodnego. Badania prowadzono w lizymetrach wypełnionych piaskiem słabo gliniastym, zawierającym średnio 14 % części ziemistych. W badaniach zastosowano dwa warianty nawożenia kompostem (K1 – 10 i K2 – 15 g N m–2). Dodatkowo zastosowano dwa warianty nawożenia mineralnego (NPK) z równorzędnymi dawkami azotu w postaci saletry amonowej z uzupełnieniem PK w postaci superfosfatu i soli potasowej. Badania wykazały zwiększanie się stężenia azotu, a zwłaszcza azotanów, w odciekach z gleby, wraz ze zwiększeniem dawek nawozu. Stężenia azotu ogólnego, a także azotanowego, w odciekach z gleby nawożonej kompostem były zdecydowanie mniejsze niż w odciekach z gleby nawożonej równorzędnymi dawkami azotu w postaci saletry. W wariantach nawożenia kompostem znacznie mniejszy był również udział N-NO3 w ogólnej zawartości azotu w odciekach, niż w przypadku jej nawożenia równorzędnymi dawkami azotu w postaci saletry. Stosunek N-NO3 : N w odciekach z gleby nawożonej kompostem wynosił 41–77 %, a w odciekach z gleby nawożonej saletrą był znacznie wyższy i wynosił 59–95 %. Wystąpiło też zdecydowane zwiększenie się ilości wymywanego z gleby azotu, wraz z upływem stosowania nawozów, co wskazuje na tworzenie się coraz większych jego nadmiarów w glebie. Badania wykazały też, że z gleby wymywane są nie tylko mineralne formy azotu, ale też azot zawarty w rozpuszczalnych związkach organicznych, zwłaszcza w przypadku jej nawożenia kompostem. Łączne ilości azotu odprowadzone w odciekach z gleby wynosiły 15–17 % ogólnej ilości azotu dostarczonej do gleby w wariantach z nawożeniem kompostem i około 25 % w wariantach z nawożeniem mineralnym. Zawartości fosforu w odciekach z gleby w przeciwieństwie do azotu były stosunkowo małe i nie wykazywały zależności od rodzaju nawozów i ich dawek, ani też od upływu lat stosowania nawożenia. Wymywanie fosforu z gleby było znikome. We wszystkich wariantach nawożenia ilości wymytego fosforu stanowiły poniżej 1 % ogólnej jego ilości dostarczonej do gleby z nawozami

Influence of agricultural utilization of sludge and compost from rural wastewater treatment plant on nitrogen passes in light soil

This paper presents the results of studies which aim was to determine the pollution of the water environment for both methods of preparation for the utilization of sewage sludge in agriculture. The study was conducted in 2008-2012 in lysimeters filled with light sandy soil (clayey sand). During the study variants with equal doses of nitrogen in an amount of 20 g . m-2 (15.7 g per one lysimeter) were supplied to the soil in sewage sludge and in the compost made from the same sludge. These variants were used three times for two species of perennial plants: Miscanthus gigantenus i Sida hermaphrodita Rusby. In a variant of sludge soil fertilizing, it was leached into water environment more than 12% of the applied nitrogen over 5 years of research. In case of compost nitrogen leaching was reduced to 8.1-10.0% of the quantity supplied to the soil

Nitrogen loss during composting sewage sludge in a prism with plant remains

W badaniach zastosowano do kompostowania odwodniony osad ściekowy z mechaniczno-biologicznej oczyszczalni ścieków wiejskich. Osad kompostowano z dodatkiem trocin drzewnych i zielonej masy traw, w proporcjach dających początkowy stosunek C:N = 20:1 w kompostowanej masie. Zawężony stosunek C:N umożliwia uzyskanie wysokiej temperatury w pryzmie, ale zwiększa też straty węgla i azotu, czyli niepożądaną emisję CO2 i amoniaku do atmosfery. Podczas kompostowania maksymalna temperatura w pryzmie dochodziła do 66°C między 10. a 16. dniem kompostowania, a średnia temperatura w tym czasie wynosiła od 55 do 58°C. Później temperatura stopniowo obniżała się i po 120 dniach zbliżyła do temperatury powietrza atmosferycznego, co oznaczało koniec kompostowania. Materiał pryzmy osiągnął wygląd i strukturę podobną do tzw. ziemi ogrodniczej. Kompostowanie - jako proces egzotermiczny - spowodowało bardzo duże ubytki suchej masy. Podczas pryzmowego kompostowania, trwającego 120 dni, ubytek suchej masy wyniósł 47% masy początkowej. Po następnych 8 miesiącach przetrzymywania (dojrzewania) kompostu ubytek suchej masy zwiększył się do ok. 55%. Ulatnianie się gazowych form azotu podczas kompostowania spowodowało również duże straty ogólnej ilości tego składnika w kompoście. Straty azotu ogólnego wyniosły 47,8% ilości początkowej po 120 dniach kompostowania i 58,2% po następnych 8 miesiącach przetrzymywania kompostu. Zwiększyła się natomiast ilość azotanowej formy azotu o 33% ilości początkowej po 120 dniach kompostowania i o 166% po roku.Dehydrated sewage sludge from rural mechanical and biological wastewater treatment plant was used for composting in the study. The sludge was subjected to composting with the addition of wooden sawdust and green mass of grass, in proportions giving the initial ratio of C:N = 20:1 in the composted mass. Narrow ratio of C:N allowed to obtain high temperature in the prism but increased the emission of CO2 and ammonia to the atmosphere. Maximum temperatures in the prism reached 66°C between 10th and 16th day of composting, and the mean temperatures during this period fluctuated from 55 to 58°C. Later, the temperature gradually decreased and after 120 days of composting it approached ambient air temperature which meant the end of composting. Prism material assumed the appearance and structure similar to the so-called horticultural soil. As an exothermic process, composting caused very high loss of dry mass. During the 120 days long composting in a prism the loss of dry mass amounted to 47% of the initial. After further 8 months of compost maturation, the loss of dry mass increased to about 55%. Evaporation of gaseous forms of nitrogen during composting also caused high loss of the total amount of this component from compost. Total nitrogen loss amounted to 47.8% of the initial quantity - after 120 days of composting and 58.2% after further 8 months of maturing. In the compost, the content of nitrates increased, however, by 33% of the initial quantity after 120 days of composting and by 166% after a year