Koštani biljezi u artropatijama

Bone endures a lifelong course of construction and destruction, with bone marker (BM) molecules released during this cycle. The field of measuring BM levels in synovial fluid and peripheral blood is a cardinal part of bone research within modern clinical medicine and has developed extensively in the last years. The purpose of our work was to convey an up-to-date overview on synovial fluid and serum BMs in the most common arthropathies.Kost podliježe stalnoj izgradnji i razgradnji tijekom čitavog života. Tijekom tog procesa oslobađaju se molekule koštanih biljega. Područje mjerenja razina koštanih biljega u sinovijskoj tekućini i perifernoj krvi bitan su dio istraživanja kosti u suvremenoj kliničkoj medicini i uvelike se razvija posljednjih godina. Namjera ovoga rada je dati najnoviji pregled u području sinovijske tekućine i koštanih biljega u serumu kod najčešćih artropatija

Order 1 autoregressive process of finite length

The stochastic processes of finite length defined by recurrence relations request additional relations specifying the first terms of the process analogously to the initial conditions for the differential equations. As a general rule, in time series theory one analyzes only stochastic processes of infinite length which need no such initial conditions and their properties are less difficult to be determined. In this paper we compare the properties of the order 1 autoregressive processes of finite and infinite length and we prove that the time series length has an important influence mainly if the serial correlation is significant. These different properties can manifest themselves as transient effects produced when a time series is numerically generated. We show that for an order 1 autoregressive process the transient behavior can be avoided if the first term is a Gaussian random variable with standard deviation equal to that of the theoretical infinite process and not to that of the white noise innovation

Intra et parasellar chordoma: Case report

A rare case of giant intra and parasellar chordoma, mimicking a pituitary prolactinoma is presented. The tumor involving pituitary fossa and surrounding structures was removed via a bifrontal approach. The pathology exhibited the typical histological patterns of a chordoma. The authors present a rare case of a giant sellar and parasellar chordoma and review the literature on that

Direct and Inverse Variational Problems on Time Scales: A Survey

We deal with direct and inverse problems of the calculus of variations on arbitrary time scales. Firstly, using the Euler-Lagrange equation and the strengthened Legendre condition, we give a general form for a variational functional to attain a local minimum at a given point of the vector space. Furthermore, we provide a necessary condition for a dynamic integro-differential equation to be an Euler-Lagrange equation (Helmholtz's problem of the calculus of variations on time scales). New and interesting results for the discrete and quantum settings are obtained as particular cases. Finally, we consider very general problems of the calculus of variations given by the composition of a certain scalar function with delta and nabla integrals of a vector valued field.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form will be published in the Springer Volume 'Modeling, Dynamics, Optimization and Bioeconomics II', Edited by A. A. Pinto and D. Zilberman (Eds.), Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics. Submitted 03/Sept/2014; Accepted, after a revision, 19/Jan/201

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) Pathways in Age-Related Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Age-associated cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases lead to high morbidity and mortality around the world. Sirtuins are vital enzymes for metabolic adaptation and provide protective effects against a wide spectrum of pathologies. Among sirtuins, mitochondrial sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is an essential player in preserving the habitual metabolic profile. SIRT3 activity declines as a result of aging-induced changes in cellular metabolism, leading to increased susceptibility to endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, heart failure and neurodegenerative diseases. Stimulating SIRT3 activity via lifestyle, pharmacological or genetic interventions could protect against a plethora of pathologies and could improve health and lifespan. Thus, understanding how SIRT3 operates and how its protective effects could be amplified, will aid in treating age-associated diseases and ultimately, in enhancing the quality of life in elders

Diet-Related Changes of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Blood and Feces in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity-related illnesses are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Metabolic syndrome has been associated with numerous health issues. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been shown to have multiple effects throughout the body, both directly as well as through specific G protein-coupled receptors. The main SCFAs produced by the gut microbiota are acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are absorbed in varying degrees from the large intestine, with some acting mainly locally and others systemically. Diet has the potential to influence the gut microbial composition, as well as the type and amount of SCFAs produced. High fiber-containing foods and supplements increase the production of SCFAs and SCFA-producing bacteria in the gut and have been shown to have bodyweight-lowering effects. Dietary supplements, which increase SCFA production, could open the way for novel approaches to weight loss interventions. The aim of this review is to analyze the variations of fecal and blood SCFAs in obesity and metabolic syndrome through a systematic search and analysis of existing literature

Rural Tourism—Viable Alternatives for Preserving Local Specificity and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development: Case Study—“Valley of the Kings” (Gurghiului Valley, Mureș County, Romania)

Rural tourism, defined as a form of local initiative tourism, has at its forefront the involvement of the local community, who contribute significantly to the affirmation and promotion of this type of tourism. In order to be able to speak of the practice of this type of tourism in a given geographical area, it is first necessary to highlight the existence of a tourist heritage, both natural and anthropic, which identifies itself with the authentic character of the area, satisfying the need of the tourist to discover activities and tourist attractions with local specificity. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of socio-economic and cultural aspects in the sustainable development of tourism in the Gurghiului Valley. The present study also aims to highlight the role of local entrepreneurs in the process of economic development in the area by means of new practices and sustainable approaches; this is based on efficient capitalization of the natural and anthropic tourism heritage of the area, defined by elements of authenticity. The methodology applied in this work is based on the study of specialized literature, along with case study on tourist activity in rural tourism. The research carried out is based on analysis of data from official sources of tourist data (the National Tourism Agency (hereafter NTA) and the National Institute of Statistics (hereafter NIS)), as well as research carried out in the field to see if there are discrepancies between what these two aforementioned official sources provide and the reality on the ground. Our research finally revealed the fact that Gurghiului Valley officially entered into the tourist landscape in 1990 through the lens of the Lăpușna student and preschool camp, and rural tourism has been organized in the study area since 2005. At the same time, research has shown that there is currently a need for much greater involvement and awareness both from local authorities and the resident population regarding the importance of rural tourism in the social and economic evolution of the local community

Glutamate determination in foodstuffs with a very simple HPLC-UV method

To date, monosodium glutamate is the most used flavour enhancing food additive. Because high levels of glutamate are toxic to brain concerns appeared regarding the safe use of glutamate and there is a 10 g kg−1 concentration limit in foodstuff. A simple HPLC-UV method, based on a derivatization procedure with ophthaldialdehyde, was developed for determination of glutamate in meat products, soup bases and vegetable concentrates. Even if our method is less sensitive than the HPLC-fluorescence ones widely available, it is able to measure amounts at least 200 times smaller than the maximum allowed one, has good reproducibility (CV under 2% for intraday and under 3% for interday determinations), linearity and accuracy. Less expensive HPLC systems are required and the formed derivative is very stable (at least 1 week), good separation is obtained with the less expensive 5 μm particle C18 columns and methanol as organic phase. Concentration of free glutamate ranged between 0.14 g kg−1 in sausage without added glutamate to as high as 2.16 g kg−1 in a pork sausage. Concentration in vegetable mixes and soup bases were between 80–120 g kg−1