Ricerca della sostenibilità di carne tacchina confezionata nell’atmosfera modificata

Sažetak Za potrebe našeg istraživanja održivosti purećeg mesa pakiranog u modificiranoj atmosferi, istraživani su uzorci svježeg purećeg mesa i to: pureći file, odrezak, zabatak, mljeveni batak i pureći file tretiran s mješavinom aditivom. Meso je pakirano u kontroliranim uvjetima uz uporabu gotove smjese BIOGON OC 30 s odnosom plinova 70% O2 : 30% CO2 . Uzorci mesa pohranjeni su na temperaturi od 4°C do 6 °C. Mikrobiološka i senzorička pretraga pakiranog mesa učinjena je 1., 4., 8. i 12. dana, a za tretirani pureći file s mješavinom aditiva na bazi acetata, citrata i antioksidansa (E 262, E331, E500, E301) i 15.dan. Rezultati su pokazali da se pureće meso pakirano u MAP-u s udjelom kisika od 70% može u optimalnim uvjetima pohrane održati ispravnim za ljudsku prehranu u preporučenom roku od 8 dana, u kojem su uzorci mesa i dalje u dopuštenim granicama parametara za ocjenu higijenske ispravnosti istih. Preporučen rok trajanja za tretirano pureće meso s mješavinom aditiva na bazi acetata, citrata i antioksidansa je do 12 dana.For the needs of our research on sustainability of turkey meat packed in modified atmosphere, samples of fresh turkey meat were researched and they were: turkey fillet, steak, thigh, ground leg and turkey fillet treated with mixture of additives. The meat was packed in controlled conditions by using BIOGON OC 30 mixture with 70% O2 : 30% CO2 gas ratio. Meat samples were stored at temperatures from 4°C to 6°C. Microbiological and sensory research on packed meat was performed on the 1st, 4th, 8th and 12th day, and the research on turkey fillet treated with mixture of additives based on acetate, citrate and antioxidant (E 262, E331, E500, E301) on the 15th day as well. The results have shown that the meat packed in MAP with 70% oxygen share under optimal conditions can be kept safe for human nutrition in recommended shelf life of 8 days, in which meat samples are still within the allowed limits of parameters for evaluation of their safety. The recommended shelf life for turkey meat treated with mixture of additives based on acetate, citrate and antioxidant is up to 12 days.Zusammenfassung Zu Zwecken unserer Untersuchungen hinsichtlich Erhaltbarkeit von Putenfleisch gepackt in der modifizierten Atmosphäre wurden Musterproben des frischen Putenfleisches untersucht, u.zw: Putenfilet, Schnitzel, Hinterkeule, gehackte Keule, sowie Putenfilet behandelt mit Additivmischung. Das Fleisch wurde in kontrollierten Bedingungen gepackt, unter Anwendung der fertigen Mischung BIOGON OC 30 mit Gasverhältnis 70 % O2 : 30 % CO2. Die Fleischmuster wurden auf Temperatur von 4° C bis 6° C gelagert. Mikrobiologische und sensorische Untersuchung wurde am 1., 4., 8., und 12. Tag durchgeführt, und für das behandelte Fleisch mit Additivmischung auf Basis von Azetat, Zitrat und Antioxidans (E262, E331, E500, E301) auch am 15. Tag. Die Resultate haben gezeigt, dass Putenfleisch gepackt in MAP mit Sauerstoffanteil von 70 % in optimalen Lagerbedingungen, für Nahrungszwecke der Menschen in der empfohlenen Frist von 8 Tagen als richtig gesehen werden kann. Die empfohlene Frist für das behandelte Fleisch mit Mischung von Azetat, Zitrat und Antioxidans beträgt bis zu 12 Tagen.Sommario A causa della nostra ricerca della sostenibilità di carne tacchina confezionata nell’atmosfera modificata, sono stati ricercati i campioni di carne tacchina fresca, come segue: filetto di tacchino, petto, sopracoscia, fuso di tacchino e filetto trattato con la miscella di aditivi. La carne è stata confezionata nelle condizioni controllate, con uso contemporaneo di una miscella già preparata BIOGON OC 30 con interrelazione di gas del 70% di O2 e del 30% di CO2. I campioni di carne sono stati immagazinati sulla temperatura tra 4°C e 6°C. La ricerca microbiologica e sensorica è stata fatta il primo, il quarto, l’ottavo ed il dodicesimo giorno, e per il filetto tacchino trattato con la miscella di aditivi a base di acetati, citrati e antiossidanti (E 262, E331, E500, E301) è stata fatta il quindicesimo giorno. I risultati hanno rivelato che la carne tacchina, confezionata nel MAP con la percentuale di ossigeno del 70% può essere mantenuta nelle condizioni ottimali di immagazinamento e sostenersi accettabile per l’alimentazione umana nell’ambito di 8 giorni raccomandati, in cui i campioni di carne continuano essere nei limiti di parametri per la valutazione di correttezza igienica. La raccomandata data di scadenza per la carne tacchina trattata con la miscella di aditivi a base di acetati, citrati e antiossidanti è fino a 12 giorni

Loneliness and Frailty Among Middle-Aged and Aging Sexual Minority Men Living With or Without HIV: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis

Background and Objectives Loneliness is associated with frailty among older adults (60+), and there is evidence suggesting that this association may be bidirectional. However, there is limited evidence of this relationship over time among middle-aged and aging sexual minority men. We explored the bidirectional relationship between loneliness and frailty over 2 years among sexual minority men living with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from the Healthy Aging substudy of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Research Design and Methods We used data from 1 118 men (561 living with HIV; 557 living without HIV) aged 40 years or older with measurement of frailty or loneliness at Times 1 (September 2016 to March 2017) and 2 (September 2018 to March 2019). Descriptive statistics were generated. We used autoregressive cross-lagged panel analysis to examine the bidirectional association between frailty and loneliness at both time points while adjusting for time-stable and time-dependent covariates at Time 1. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated. Results The estimated prevalence of loneliness at both time points was 35.5%. The estimated prevalence of frailty at Times 1 and 2 were 7.8% and 12.1%, respectively. Participants reporting loneliness at Time 1 had greater odds of being frail at Time 2 (aOR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.23–3.73). Frailty at Time 1 was not associated with loneliness at Time 2 (aOR = 1.00; 95% CI: .44–2.25). The autoregressive effects of frailty (aOR = 23.43; 95% CI: 11.94–46) and loneliness (aOR = 13.94; 95% CI: 9.42–20.61) were large. Discussion and Implications Men who felt lonely had higher odds of being frail 2 years later while the reciprocal association was not shown. This suggests that loneliness preceded frailty and not the other way around. Early and frequent assessments of loneliness may present opportunities for interventions that minimize the risk of frailty among sexual minority men living with and without HIV.This was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (grant number R01 MD010680; M.R.F. and M.P.) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (grant number K01DA047912). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) (Principal Investigators): Atlanta Clinical Research Site (CRS) (Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Anandi Sheth, and Gina Wingood), U01-HL146241; Baltimore CRS (Todd Brown and Joseph Margolick), U01-HL146201; Bronx CRS (Kathryn Anastos and Anjali Sharma), U01-HL146204; Brooklyn CRS (Deborah Gustafson and Tracey Wilson), U01-HL146202; Data Analysis and Coordination Center (Gypsyamber D’Souza, Stephen Gange, and Elizabeth Golub), U01-HL146193; Chicago–Cook County CRS (Mardge Cohen and Audrey French), U01-HL146245; Chicago-Northwestern CRS (Steven Wolinsky), U01-HL146240; Connie Wofsy Women’s HIV Study, Northern California CRS (Bradley Aouizerat, Phyllis Tien, and Jennifer Price), U01-HL146242; Los Angeles CRS (Roger Detels), U01-HL146333; Metropolitan Washington CRS (Seble Kassaye and Daniel Merenstein), U01-HL146205; Miami CRS (Maria Alcaide, Margaret Fischl, and Deborah Jones), U01-HL146203; Pittsburgh CRS (Jeremy Martinson and Charles Rinaldo), U01-HL146208; UAB-MS CRS (Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Jodie Dionne-Odom, and Deborah Konkle-Parker), U01-HL146192; and UNC CRS (Adaora Adimora), U01-HL146194. The MWCCS is funded primarily by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, with additional co-funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and in coordination and alignment with the research priorities of the NIH, Office of AIDS Research. MWCCS data collection is also supported by UL1-TR000004 (University of California, San Francisco Clinical and Translational Science Award), P30-AI-050409 (Atlanta Center for AIDS Research [CFAR]), P30-AI-050410 (UNC CFAR), and P30-AI-027767 (University of Alabama CFAR). This work was also supported by national funds through the FCT–Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the scope of projects UIDB/04750/2020 and LA/P/0064/2020. This study was also supported by a Scientific Employment Stimulus contract to A.H. (CEECIND/01793/2017)

Influsso della materia prima sulle caratteristiche fisico-chimiche del sudžuk, salsiccia tradizionale di Bosnia, prodotto nelle condizioni controllate

Sažetak Sudžuk, bosanska suha fermentirana kobasica,tradicionalno se proizvodi od goveđeg mesa,goveđeg loja, soli, češnjaka i crnog papra u Bosni i Hercegovini. U radu je istražen utjecaj različite sirovine (I., I. i II., II., II. i III. kategorije goveđeg mesa i različita količina dodanog goveđeg loja) na neka fizikalno-kemijska i senzorna svojstva bosanskog sudžuka proizvedenog u kontroliranim uvjetima. Proizvedene su četiri varijante bosanskog sudžuka (A,B,C i D) zasnovane na različitim količinama pojedinih kategorija goveđeg mesa i različitim količinama goveđeg loja. Varijante A i B na kraju procesa proizvodnje imaju značajno nižu (p<0,05) pH vrijednost (5,1) od varijanti C i D (5,2), što je odraz niže inicijalne pH vrijednosti tih varijanti. Sve su varijante sudžuka po Aw vrijednosti stabilne (0,89 – 0,90) i među njima nisu utvrđene značajne razlike (p>0,05). Gubitak mase tijekom sušenja kretao se od 31% do 40%, a među svim varijantama postojale su značajne razlike u gubitku mase (p<0,05). Kemijski sastav svih varijanti bio je povoljan u pogledu vlage (28% - 33%) i proteina (27% - 33%). Sadržaj masti najviše je varirao i kretao se od 27% do 35%. Značajno manji sadržaj vlage ustanovljen je kod varijante D u odnosu na varijante B i C (p<0,05). Značajno veći sadržaj masti utvrđen je kod varijante A u odnosu na varijante C i B (p0,05). Postojale su značajne razlike u sadržaju proteina među svima varijantama, izuzev između A i B (p>0,05). ANOV je pokazala da na sadržaj hidroksiprolina/kolagena značajan utjecaj ima odabrana sirovina, a među svim varijantama sudžuka postojale su značajne razlike u sadržaju hidroksiprolina i kolagena (p<0,05). Sadržaj hidroksiprolina/kolagena bio je odraz različite očišćenosti mesa od vezivnog tkiva. Najmanji sadržaj hidroksiprolina i kolagena imala je varijanta A (0,24; 1,92), a najveći varijanta D (0,56; 4,48). Varijanta D (kombinacija II. i III. kategorije goveđeg mesa) imala je najveći sadržaj vezivnog tkiva (14,35%). Sadržaj pepela u različitim varijantama sudžuka bio je ujednačen bez značajnih razlika (p>0,05) i kretao se od 5,2% do 6,2%.Sadržaj NaCl-a kretao se od 4,0% do 5,2. Varijanta C imala je značajno veći sadržaj NaCl-a, a varijanta A značajno (p<0,05) veći sadržaj nitrita (8,31 g/kg) u odnosu na ostale varijante sudžuka. Među varijantama sudžuka u ocjeni povezanosti mišićnog i masnog tkiva, prisutnosti kore na presjeku, žilavosti, masnosti, kiselosti, arome na bijeli luk i arome na crni papar nije bilo statistički značajnih razlika (p>0,05). Sudžuk je imao dobru do vrlo dobru povezanost mišićnog i masnog tkiva, malo izraženu prisutnost kore na presjeku, malu žilavost, malo izraženu kiselost, srednje izraženu masnost, umjereno izražene arome bijelog luka i crnog papra. Značajno tamniju boju mišićnog tkiva, nešto slanije i najmanje izraženu aromu na dim imala je varijanta A sudžuka, tamniju boju masnog tkiva i najmanje sočno djelovala je varijanta B, tvrđe u ustima djelovala je varijanta C, a u varijanti D najmanje se osjećala užeglost u odnosu na druge varijante (p<0,05). Ocjenjivanje intenziteta senzornih svojstava pokazalo je da sudžuk ima: umjereno do vrlo tamnocrvenu boju mišićnog tkiva, bijelu do umjereno bijelu boju masnog tkiva, umjerenu nježnost, sočnost i slanost, slabo izraženu aromu dima i vrlo malo izraženu užeglost. Sve varijante bosanskog sudžuka prihvatljive su bez značajnih razlika (p>0,05), odnosno umjereno do vrlo se sviđaju ocjenjivačima.Sujuka, a dry fermented sausage in Bosnia and Herzegovina is traditionally produced from beef, beef tallow, salt, garlic and black pepper. This paper was focused on examining the influence of different raw materials (I, I and II, II, II and III category of beef and different quantities of added beef tallow) on some physical-chemical and sensory properties of Bosnian sujuka produced under controlled conditions. Four variants of Bosnian sujuka were produced (A, B, C and D) based on different quantities of certain categories of beef and different quantities of beef tallow. Variants A and B, at the end of the production process, had a significantly lower (p<0.05) pH value (5.1) relative to the variants C and D (5.2), which is the result of the lower initial pH value in these variants. In terms of Aw value, all the variants of sujuka were stable (0.89 – 0.90) and showed no significant differences (p>0.05). The loss of mass during the drying process ranged from 31% to 40%, where all the variants showed significant variations in mass (p<0.05). Chemical composition in all the variants was favorable in terms of moisture (28% - 33%) and proteins (27% - 33%). The content of fat showed the highest variation ranging from 27% to 35%. A significantly lower content of moisture was found in variant D relative to the variants B and C (p<0.05). A significantly higher fat content was found in variant A compared to C and B variants (p0.05) variant. There were some significant differences in protein content among all the variants, except for A and B (p>0.05). The content of hidroxyproline/ collagen was significantly influenced by selected raw material, and all the sujuka variants showed significant differences in hidroxyproline and collagen contents. The content of ash in different variants of sujuka was uniform, showing no significant differences (p>0.05), and ranged from 5.2% to 6.2%. Variant C had a significantly higher content of NaCl, whereas variant A had a significantly higher (p<0.05) content of nitrites compared to other variants of sujuka. When it comes to the evaluation of cohesion of muscle and fat tissue, presence of crust at cross section, toughness, fattiness, sourness, garlic and black pepper aromas in sujuka variants, there were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05).Zusammenfassung Sudžuk, bosnische trockene fermentierte Wurst, wird in Bosnien und Herzegowina traditionell aus Rindfleisch, Rindtalg, Salz, Knoblauch und schwarzem Pfeffer hergestellt. In dieser Arbeit wurde der Einfluss verschiedener Rohstoffe (I., I. und II., II. und III. Rindfleischkategorie und unterschiedliche Menge des zugefügten Rindtalgs) auf physikalisch-chemische und sensorische Eigenschaften von bosnischem Sudžuk hergestellt in kontrollierten Bedingungen, untersucht.Es wurden vier Varianten (A, B, C und D) des bosnischen Sudžuk hergestellt, dies in Bezug auf unterschiedliche Mengen der einzelnen Rindfleischkategorien und unterschiedliche Mengen des Rindtalges. Varianten A und B hatten am Ende des Herstellungsprozesses einen bedeutend niedrigeren (p<0,05) pH Wert (5,1) als Varianten C und D (5,2), was die Wiederspiegelung eines niedrigeren initialen pH Wertes dieser Varianten ist. Alle Sudžuk-Varianten sind nach Aw Wert stabil (0,89 - 0,90) und zwischen ihnen sind keine bedeutenden Unerschiede festgestellt (p>0,05) worden. Der Verlust der Masse während des Trocknens bewegte sich von 31 % bis 40 % und zwischen allen Varianten bestanden bedeutende Unterschiede bei Massenverlust (p<0,05). Ein bedeutend niedrigerer Feuchtigkeitsinhalt wurde bei Variante D in Bezug auf Varianten B und C festgestellt (p<0,05). Ein bedeutend größerer Fettinhalt wurde bei Variante A in Bezug auf Varianten C und B festgestellt (p<0,05), jedoch nicht in Bezug auf Variante D (p>0,05). Es bestanden bedeutende Unterschiede bezüglich Proteininhalt bei allen Varianten, ausgenommen zwischen A und B (p>0,05). Der Inhalt von Hydroxyproline/Kollagen unterschied sich bedeutend in Varianten und war die Folge von unterschiedlicher Säuberung des Fleisches vom Bindegewebe. Der Ascheinhalt in unterschiedlichen Sudžuk-Varianten war gleichmäßig ohne große Unterschiede (p>0,05) und bewegte sich von 5,2 % bis 6,2 %. Variante C hatte einen bedeutend größeren NaCl-Inhalt und Variante A einen bedeuend größeren (p<0,05) Nitrit-Inhalt in Bezug auf andere Sudžuk-Varianten. Statistisch gesehen (p>0,05) gab es keine bedeutenden Unterschiede bei Sudžuk-Varianten in Bezug auf die Verbundenheit des Muskel- und Fettgewebes, Anwesenheit der Rinde beim Durchschnitt, Zähigkeit, Fettheit, Säure, Knoblauch- und Schwarzpfefferaroma.Sommario Sudžuk, la salsiccia secca fermentata di Bosnia, tradizionalmente viene prodotta in Bosnia ed Erzegovina della carne bovina, lardo bovino, sale, aglio e pepe nero. Quest’articolo esamina l’influsso di varie materie prime (Ia, Ia e IIa, IIa, IIa e IIIa categoria della carne di manzo e diverse quantità del lardo bovino su alcune caratteristiche fisico-chimiche e sensoriche del sudžuk di Bosnia prodotto sotto le condizioni controllate. Sono prodotte quattro varianti del sudžuk di Bosnia (A, B, C e D) basate su varie quantità di certe categorie della carne bovina e su diverse quantità del lardo bovino. Le varianti A e B alla fine del processo di produzione avevano il valore pH (5,1) notevolmente più basso (p<0,05) delle varianti C e D (5,2), la cosa che riflette più basso valore pH iniziale di queste varianti. Tutte le varianti del sudžuk secondo il valore Aw sono stabili (0,89-0,90) e tra di loro non sono state determinate differenze notevoli (p>0,05). La perdita del peso durante l’essicamento variava tra il 31% e il 40%, e tra tutte le varianti esistevano le differenze notevoli nella perdita del peso (p<0,05). La percentuale notevolmente più piccola dell’umidità è stata determinata dalla variante D rispetto alle varianti B e C (p<0,05). La percentuale notevolmente più grande dei grassi è stata determinata dalla variante A rispetto alle varianti C e B (p0,05). Esistevano anche le differenze notevoli nel contenuto delle proteine tra tutte le varianti, salvo tra la A e la B (p>0,05). Il contenuto della idrossiprollina/del collagene era evidentemente differente nelle varianti e rifletteva la pulizia diversa della carne del tessuto connettivo. La percentuale delle ceneri nelle varianti differenti del sudžuk era equilibrata senza notevoli differenze (p>0,05) e variava dal 5,2% al 6,2%. La variante C aveva una percentuale notevolmente più grande del NaCl, e la variante A aveva una percentuale notevolmente (pp<0,05) più grande dei nitriti rispetto alle altre varianti del sudžuk. Tra le varianti del sudžuk durante la valutazione del fatto di connessione del tessuto muscolare e il tessuto grasso, e la presenza della crosta sulla sezione trasverzale, tenacia, grassezza, acidità, aroma d’aglio e aroma del pepe nero

Disease progression in Plasmodium knowlesi malaria is linked to variation in invasion gene family members.

Emerging pathogens undermine initiatives to control the global health impact of infectious diseases. Zoonotic malaria is no exception. Plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite of Southeast Asian macaques, has entered the human population. P. knowlesi, like Plasmodium falciparum, can reach high parasitaemia in human infections, and the World Health Organization guidelines for severe malaria list hyperparasitaemia among the measures of severe malaria in both infections. Not all patients with P. knowlesi infections develop hyperparasitaemia, and it is important to determine why. Between isolate variability in erythrocyte invasion, efficiency seems key. Here we investigate the idea that particular alleles of two P. knowlesi erythrocyte invasion genes, P. knowlesi normocyte binding protein Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb, influence parasitaemia and human disease progression. Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb reference DNA sequences were generated from five geographically and temporally distinct P. knowlesi patient isolates. Polymorphic regions of each gene (approximately 800 bp) were identified by haplotyping 147 patient isolates at each locus. Parasitaemia in the study cohort was associated with markers of disease severity including liver and renal dysfunction, haemoglobin, platelets and lactate, (r = ≥ 0.34, p =  <0.0001 for all). Seventy-five and 51 Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb haplotypes were resolved in 138 (94%) and 134 (92%) patient isolates respectively. The haplotypes formed twelve Pknbpxa and two Pknbpxb allelic groups. Patients infected with parasites with particular Pknbpxa and Pknbpxb alleles within the groups had significantly higher parasitaemia and other markers of disease severity. Our study strongly suggests that P. knowlesi invasion gene variants contribute to parasite virulence. We focused on two invasion genes, and we anticipate that additional virulent loci will be identified in pathogen genome-wide studies. The multiple sustained entries of this diverse pathogen into the human population must give cause for concern to malaria elimination strategists in the Southeast Asian region

Regulation of DNA synthesis and the cell cycle in human prostate cancer cells and lymphocytes by ovine uterine serpin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Uterine serpins are members of the serine proteinase inhibitor superfamily. Like some other serpins, these proteins do not appear to be functional proteinase inhibitors. The most studied member of the group, ovine uterine serpin (OvUS), inhibits proliferation of several cell types including activated lymphocytes, bovine preimplantation embryos, and cell lines for lymphoma, canine primary osteosarcoma and human prostate cancer (PC-3) cells. The goal for the present study was to evaluate the mechanism by which OvUS inhibits cell proliferation. In particular, it was tested whether inhibition of DNA synthesis in PC-3 cells involves cytotoxic actions of OvUS or the induction of apoptosis. The effect of OvUS in the production of the autocrine and angiogenic cytokine interleukin (IL)-8 by PC-3 cells was also determined. Finally, it was tested whether OvUS blocks specific steps in the cell cycle using both PC-3 cells and lymphocytes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Recombinant OvUS blocked proliferation of PC-3 cells at concentrations as low as 8 μg/ml as determined by measurements of [³H]thymidine incorporation or ATP content per well. Treatment of PC-3 cells with OvUS did not cause cytotoxicity or apoptosis or alter interleukin-8 secretion into medium. Results from flow cytometry experiments showed that OvUS blocked the entry of PC-3 cells into S phase and the exit from G₂/M phase. In addition, OvUS blocked entry of lymphocytes into S phase following activation of proliferation with phytohemagglutinin.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results indicate that OvUS acts to block cell proliferation through disruption of the cell cycle dynamics rather than induction of cytotoxicity or apoptosis. The finding that OvUS can regulate cell proliferation makes this one of only a few serpins that function to inhibit cell growth.</p

The excess mortality risk of diabetes associated with functional decline in older adults: Results from a 7-year follow-up of a nationwide cohort in Taiwan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of functional decline in older adults. Few studies have investigated the contribution of functional decline to excess mortality risk in older people with diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine how diabetes in combination with different levels of functional decline affects 7-year mortality in older adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of people aged 65 years and over, participating in the 2001 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan. A total of 1873 participants were followed through 2002-2008, of whom 286 (15.3%) had a history of diabetes confirmed by a medical professional. Participants were divided into three functional status groups: (1) high functioning-no limitations involving activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), or physical functioning; (2) low functioning-limitations in one or more ADLs; (3) middle functioning-all participants in between groups 1 and 2.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The crude mortality rate was 52.7 per 1,000 person-years in those with diabetes and 34.1 per 1,000 person-years in those without diabetes. After adjustment for other factors, diabetes alone was not associated with an increased mortality risk in those with high functioning. However, diabetes alone had a hazard ratio (HR) for mortality of 1.90 (95%CI = [1.02-3.53]) in those with middle functioning and 3.67 (95%CI = [1.55-8.69]) in those with low functioning. The presence of diabetes and one or more other chronic conditions was associated with a HR for mortality of 2.46 (95%CI = [1.61-3.77]) in those with middle functioning and 4.03 (95%CI = [2.31-7.03]) in those with low functioning.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that diabetes is not associated with increased mortality in those with high functioning. There was a gradient effect of functional decline on mortality in individuals with diabetes. Additionally, among participants with other chronic conditions, functional decline was associated with a greater burden of mortality in older adults with diabetes. These findings highlight the critical importance of the prevention of cardiovascular disease morbidity and the maintenance of functional abilities in order to reduce mortality risk in older adults with diabetes.</p

A histological and micro-CT investigation in to the effect of NGF and EGF on the periodontal, alveolar bone, root and pulpal healing of replanted molars in a rat model - a pilot study

Background: This study aims to investigate, utilising micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology, whether the topical application of nerve growth factor (NGF) and/or epidermal growth factor (EGF) can enhance periodontal, alveolar bone, root and pulpal tissue regeneration while minimising the risk of pulpal necrosis, root resorption and ankylosis of replanted molars in a rat model. Methods: Twelve four-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham, collagen, EGF and NGF. The maxillary right first molar was elevated and replanted with or without a collagen membrane impregnated with either the growth factors EGF or NGF, or a saline solution. Four weeks after replantation, the animals were sacrificed and the posterior maxilla was assessed using histological and micro-CT analysis. The maxillary left first molar served as the control for the corresponding right first molar. Results: Micro-CT analysis revealed a tendency for all replanted molars to have reduced root length, root volume, alveolar bone height and inter-radicular alveolar bone volume. It appears that the use of the collagen membrane had a negative effect while no positive effect was noted with the incorporation of EGF or NGF. Histologically, the incorporation of the collagen membrane was found to negatively affect pulpal, root, periodontal and alveolar bone healing with pulpal inflammation and hard tissue formation, extensive root resorption and alveolar bone fragmentation. The incorporation of EGF and NGF did not improve root, periodontal or alveolar bone healing. However, EGF was found to improve pulp vascularisation while NGF improved pulpal architecture and cell organisation, although not to the level of the control group.Conclusions: Results indicate a possible benefit on pulpal vascularisation and pulpal cell organisation following the incorporation of EGF and NGF, respectively, into the alveolar socket of replanted molars in the rat model. No potential benefit of EGF and NGF was detected in periodontal or root healing, while the use of a collagen membrane carrier was found to have a negative effect on the healing response