Does overhead irrigation with salt affect growth, yield, and phenolic content of lentil plants?

Overhead irrigation of lentil plants with salt (100 mM NaCl) did not have any significant impact on plant growth, while chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm were affected. Under such poor irrigation water quality, the malondialdehyde content in leaves was increased due to the lipid peroxidation of membranes. In seeds, the total phenolic content (TPC) was correlated to their total antioxidant capacity (TAC). High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) detection showed that flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin, rutin, p-coumaric acid, quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid and resveratrol) appear to be the compounds with the greatest influence on the TAC values. Catechin is the most abundant phenolic compound in lentil seeds. Overhead irrigation with salt reduced the concentration of almost all phenolic compounds analyzed from lentil seed extracts

FLOTATION KINETICS OF MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE SEDIMENTED FROM SEA WATER

Synthetic sea water has been taken as a referential sample, in which Mg(OH)2 had been sedimented, in order to reduce biological effects and confirm reproducibility of results of the familiar composition sample. The synthetic sea water was prepared according to the scientifically developed procedure. Flotation experiments were performed in the apparatus for flotation under pressure and recoveries of floated Mg(OH)2 were determined depending on the time of flotation. The results obtained on the referential sample of the synthetic water were also tested on the sample of natural sea water and presented comparatively during work. Flotation kinetics is in most cases described by an equation of the first or second degree. However, it was established that flotation kinetics of Mg(OH)2 as chemical sediment with both types of prepared magnesium hydroxide suspension, sedimented in both the synthetic and natural sea water corresponded to the velocity of reaction n = 1.5 degree, which fully corresponds to Horst Morris’s theoretical postulates in the theory of flotation kinetics

FLOTATION KINETICS OF MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE SEDIMENTED FROM SEA WATER

Synthetic sea water has been taken as a referential sample, in which Mg(OH)2 had been sedimented, in order to reduce biological effects and confirm reproducibility of results of the familiar composition sample. The synthetic sea water was prepared according to the scientifically developed procedure. Flotation experiments were performed in the apparatus for flotation under pressure and recoveries of floated Mg(OH)2 were determined depending on the time of flotation. The results obtained on the referential sample of the synthetic water were also tested on the sample of natural sea water and presented comparatively during work. Flotation kinetics is in most cases described by an equation of the first or second degree. However, it was established that flotation kinetics of Mg(OH)2 as chemical sediment with both types of prepared magnesium hydroxide suspension, sedimented in both the synthetic and natural sea water corresponded to the velocity of reaction n = 1.5 degree, which fully corresponds to Horst Morris’s theoretical postulates in the theory of flotation kinetics

The content of antioxidants in sunflower seed and kernel

The primary objective of this research was to determine differences among investigated sunflower genotypes and whether the analyzed hybrids could be sources of phenols and tocopherols important for storage stability of sunflower seeds and their derived products. DPPH• radical scavenging activity, the content of phenolic components and tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-) in seeds and kernels of three sunflower hybrids were analyzed. In the present study, six different phenolic compounds were separated by the HPLC analysis. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant phenol. The chlorogenic acid content strongly correlated with total phenols (r=0.93). Other marked phenolics were caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, myricetin and rutin. The total tocopherols were significantly higher (P lt 0.05) in kernels than in seeds of all sunflower hybrids. Concentrations in sunflower seeds ranged from 200.67 to 220.05 μg/g and from 256.62 to 267.49 μg/g in sunflower kernels where α-tocopherol was the dominant isomer in all samples. The α-tocopherol content was 98% of averaged of the total tocopherols in all analysed samples. All these nutrients with antioxidant properties influenced the capacity of DPPH• scavenging. Accordingly, sunflower kernels had a higher DPPH• scavenging activity, and a higher nutritive value than sunflower seeds

Effects of nerve and fibroblast growth factors on the production of nitric oxide in experimental model of Huntington's disease

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in neurological diseases represents one of the most studied, yet controversial subjects in physiology. The aim was to examine the effects of intrastriatal injection neurotrophins (nerve growth factors-NGF, fibroblast growth factors-FGF) in order to investigate the possible involvement of NO in quinolinic acid (QA) induced striatum toxicity in the rat model of Huntington's disease (HD). QA was administered unilaterally into the striatum of adult Wistar rats in a single dose of 150 nM. The other two groups of animals were pretreated immediately before QA application with NGF and FGF, respectively. Control group was treated with 0.9% saline solution in the same manner. Animals were decapitated 7 days after the treatment. Nitrite levels were significantly decreased both in the ipsi- and contra lateral striatum and forebrain cortex of NGF- and FGF-treated animals compared with QA treatment. These results indicated a temporal and spatial propagation of oxidative stress and spread protective effects of NGF and FGF on the forebrain cortex, the distant structure, but tightly connected with striatum, the place of direct neurotoxin damage. Neurotrophins could be the potential neuroprotective agents in HD

Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among health-care workers in Serbia

© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology of occupational accidents and self-reported attitude of health-care workers (HCWs) in Serbia. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs in selected departments of five tertiary care hospitals and in one secondary care hospital in February 2012. A previously developed self-administered questionnaire was provided to HCWs who had direct daily contact with patients. χ2 test and Student's t test were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: Of the 1,441 potential participants, 983 (68.2%) completed the questionnaire: 655 (66.7%) were nurses/medical technicians, 243 (24.7%) were physicians and 85 (8.6%) were other personnel. Of the 983 participants, 291 (29.6%) HCWs had had at least one accident during the previous year and 106 (40.2%) of them reported it to the responsible person. The highest prevalence (68.6%) of accidents was among nurses/technicians (p = 0.001). Accidents occurred more often in large clinical centers (81.1%; p < 0.001) and in the clinical ward, intensive care unit and operating theater (p = 0.003) than in other departments. Seventy-six (13.1%) nurses/medical technicians had an accident during needle recapping (p < 0.001). Of all the HCWs, 550 (55.9%) were fully vaccinated, including significantly more doctors (154, 63.4%) than participants from other job categories (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There was a relatively high rate of accidents among HCWs in our hospitals, most commonly amongst nurses and staff working in clinical wards, intensive care units and operating theaters. The most common types of accidents were needlestick injuries and accidents due to improper handling of contaminated sharp devices or occuring while cleaning instruments or by coming into contact with blood through damaged skin or through the conjunctiva/mucous membranes

Enhancement of urban pluvial flood risk management and resilience through collaborative modelling: a UK case study

This paper presents the main findings and lessons learned from the development and implementation of a new methodology for collaborative modelling, social learning and social acceptance of flood risk management technologies. The proposed methodology entails three main phases: (1) stakeholder analysis and engagement; (2) improvement of urban pluvial flood modelling and forecasting tools; and (3) development and implementation of web-based tools for collaborative modelling in flood risk management and knowledge sharing. The developed methodology and tools were tested in the Cranbrook catchment (London Borough of Redbridge, UK), an area that has experienced severe pluvial (surface) flooding in the past. The developed methodologies proved to be useful for promoting interaction between stakeholders, developing collaborative modelling and achieving social acceptance of new technologies for flood risk management. Some limitations for stakeholder engagement were identified and are discussed in the present paper