Potential of eggplant peel as by-product

In this study ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds contents of eggplant flesh and eggplant peel were determined. Among the investigated eggplant cultivars generally eggplant peel had higher ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds contents than eggplant flesh. Ascorbic acid content in eggplant flesh ranged from 33.62 to 92.75 mg kg−1 and in eggplant peel from 12.45 to 111.01 mg kg−1. Phenolic compounds content ranged from 11.77 to 22.18 g kg−1 in eggplant flesh and from 13.46 to 29.42 g kg−1 in eggplant peel. Eggplant peel is usually treated as waste, i.e. byproduct, omitting its potentially beneficial characteristics. Due to higher ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds contents, further investigations should be directed on possible use of eggplant peel as natural ingredient for functional products formulation

Anthocyanins, phenols, and antioxidant activity in blackberry juice with plant extracts addition during heating

In this work the influence of addition of different plant extracts (olive leaf, green tea, pine bark PE 95%, pine bark PE 5:1, red wine PE 30%, red wine PE 4:1, and bioflavonoids) to blackberry juice during heating (at 30, 50, 70 and 90 °C) on the anthocyanin and phenol contents, polymeric colour, and antioxidant activity was investigated. Also, reaction rate constant, half-lives of degradation, and activation energy were calculated. Control sample was juice without addition of extracts. The highest anthocyanin content at 30 °C was in samples with the addition of olive leaf and green tea. At 90 °C the highest anthocyanin content was measured in samples with the addition of extract of red wine and bioflavonoides. Samples supplemented with the extracts had much higher antioxidant activity in comparison to the control sample. Results showed that at 90 °C the sample with green tea supplementation had the lowest reaction rate constant and the highest half-life. Activation energy ranged from 29 to 44 kJ mol−1

Total phenol content and antioxidant activity of water solutions of plant extracts

Water solutions of extracts were investigated for total phenol content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. Susceptibility to degradation of water solutions of plant extracts, under light and in the dark, during storage at room temperature was investigated in order to determine their stability prior to their application for fortification of food products. Large dispersion of total phenol (TP) content in the investigated model solutions of selected extracts (olive leaves, green tea, red grape, red wine, pine bark PE 5:1, pine bark PE 95 %, resveratrol), ranging from 11.10 mg GAE/100 mL to 92.19 mg GAE/100 mL was observed. Consequently, large dispersion of total flavonoids (TF) content (8.89 mg to 61.75 mg CTE/100 mL) was also observed. Since phenols have been mostly responsible for antioxidant activity of extracts, in most cases, antioxidant activity followed the TP content. That was proven by estimation of correlation coefficient between the total phenol content and antioxidant activity. Correlation coefficients between investigated parameters ranged from 0.5749 to 0.9604. During storage of 5 weeks at room temperature loss of phenols and flavonoids occurred. Antioxidant activity decreased with the decrease of TP and TF content. Degradations of phenols and flavonoids were more pronounced in samples stored at light

Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy

During the period from 1995 to 1999, 64 patients were treated for ectopic pregnancy. All patients admitted to the department passed the same procedure including (complete preoperative laboratory findings, Beta HCG, serum progesterone and transvaginal colour Doppler). In patients who had ultrasound finding typical for ectopic pregnancy in combination with positive Beta HCG, conservative treatment was primarily done. In the rest of the patients, Beta HCG was tested every second day and in combination with the clinical and vaginosonographical findings the patients underwent diagnostic or operative laparoscopy. Out of 64 patients 36 had visible ectopic pregnancy when admitted to the clinical department. Three patients had no visible ectopic pregnancy neither at the time of their admission to the department nor at the time of laparoscopy. One of them had cervical pregnancy and the other two had pregnancies in the uterine part of the tube. The patient with cervical pregnancy was treated with metrotrexat (MTX) 12 mg daily in 5 doses. One patient with cornual pregnancy was treated with high doses of oxytocin infusion in combination with MEB intravenously 3x1 amp. The other patient with cornual pregnancy underwent laparoscopy with cornual resection and salpingectomy. Four of other tubar pregnancies were treated with metrotrexat 12mg/day for 5 days. Other ectopic pregnancies were treated as follows: 36 laparoscopic salpingectomies, 10 laparoscopic salpingotomies with ovum expression, 9 adnexectomies by laparotomy, and 2 laparoscopic adnexectomies

Predictors of treatment outcomes in geriatric patients with odontoid fractures: AOSpine North America multi-centre prospective GOF study.

STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To identify patient and treatment characteristics associated with treatment success or failure in the management of odontoid fractures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Odontoid fractures are the most common cervical spine fractures in the elderly and represent a significant management challenge with widely divergent views regarding operative versus nonoperative management. METHODS: A total of 159 patients 65 years and older with radiographically confirmed type II odontoid fractures were enrolled at 10 sites in the United States and 1 site in Canada between January 2006 and May 2009. Subjects were followed at 6 and 12 months post-initial treatment with Neck Disability Index and SF-36v2 scores. Final treatment outcome was classified as failure or success. Treatment failure was defined as death by any cause, decline in Neck Disability Index by more than 9.5 absolute points, or occurrence of a major treatment-related complication. Baseline characteristics between the groups were compared using t test for the continuous variables and χ2 test for the categorical variables. Baseline characteristics associated with treatment outcomes were identified by multiple logistic stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 101 (63.5%) patients were treated surgically and 58 (36.5%) conservatively. Forty-four (27.7%) patients had a successful outcome and 86 (54.1%) had a treatment failure; for 29 patients (18.2%), treatment status could not be determined (3 withdrew; 26 were lost to follow-up). Twenty-nine (18.2%) patients expired before the 12-month follow-up. Follow-up information was available for 103 of 127 surviving (81.1%) patients. Twelve-month SF-36v2 scores were worse in the failure group. The characteristics associated with treatment failure were older age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08 for each year of age); initial nonsurgical treatment (OR = 3.09); male sex (OR = 4.33), and baseline neurological system comorbidity (OR = 4.13). CONCLUSION: Older age, initial nonsurgical treatment, and male sex are associated with failure of treatment in patients with geriatric odontoid fractures

Varicose veins of lower extremities in workers with jobs requiring continuous standing or sitting position

Epidemiološka ispitivanje učestalosti varikoznih vena donjih ekstremiteta izvršeno je u 779 industrijskih radnika (434 muškarca i 345 žena). Ispitivana je učestalost varikoznih vena u odnosu na stojeći odnosno sjedeći položaj pri radu. Utvrđena je statistički značajna (p < 0,05) povezanost između varikoznih vena i duljine zaposlenja u svih radnika osim u žena sa sjedećim položajem. Učestalost varikoznih vena povećavala se do 19 godina, a nakon toga je registriran pad (vjerojatno kao posljedica selekcije). Nije dobivena značajna razlika u učestalosti varikoznih vena donjih ekstremiteta između stojećeg i sjedećeg položaja pri radu.An epidemiological study of the prevalence of varicose veins of lower extremities was carried out in an industrial population of 434 men and 345 women. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) association between the varicose disease and duration of work was found in all groups of workers, except for women sitting at work. Decrease in the prevalence of varicose veins after 20 years of employment may be explained at least partly, by the factor of selfselection in the industry. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of varicose veins between workers standing and those sitting at work

Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy

During the period from 1995 to 1999, 64 patients were treated for ectopic pregnancy. All patients admitted to the department passed the same procedure including (complete preoperative laboratory findings, Beta HCG, serum progesterone and transvaginal colour Doppler). In patients who had ultrasound finding typical for ectopic pregnancy in combination with positive Beta HCG, conservative treatment was primarily done. In the rest of the patients, Beta HCG was tested every second day and in combination with the clinical and vaginosonographical findings the patients underwent diagnostic or operative laparoscopy. Out of 64 patients 36 had visible ectopic pregnancy when admitted to the clinical department. Three patients had no visible ectopic pregnancy neither at the time of their admission to the department nor at the time of laparoscopy. One of them had cervical pregnancy and the other two had pregnancies in the uterine part of the tube. The patient with cervical pregnancy was treated with metrotrexat (MTX) 12 mg daily in 5 doses. One patient with cornual pregnancy was treated with high doses of oxytocin infusion in combination with MEB intravenously 3x1 amp. The other patient with cornual pregnancy underwent laparoscopy with cornual resection and salpingectomy. Four of other tubar pregnancies were treated with metrotrexat 12mg/day for 5 days. Other ectopic pregnancies were treated as follows: 36 laparoscopic salpingectomies, 10 laparoscopic salpingotomies with ovum expression, 9 adnexectomies by laparotomy, and 2 laparoscopic adnexectomies

Spring cleaning as a safety risk: results of a population-based study in two consecutive years

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spring cleaning is a popular tradition in Iran as well as in many other countries. The purpose of our study was to determine the pattern and compare the incidence of spring cleaning related injuries in Tehran, in the years 2007 and 2008.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the year 2007, a household survey was performed in Tehran by random cluster sampling. The survey was repeated in May 2008 with the same clusters and starting points, but different households. The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries, the age and sex of injured person(s), the mechanism, type and cost of injuries were recorded through semi-structured interviews. The incidence rates of injuries and injuries leading to health visits (severe) according to sex and age groups were calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA statistical softwares.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of all and severe spring cleaning related injuries were 3.8 (3.0 - 4.8) and 1.6 (1.1-2.3) per 1000, respectively. The most common mechanisms of injuries were falls, followed by cutting and lifting heavy objects or overexertion. Falls were also the main mechanism of severe injuries. The most common injuries were open wounds, followed by superficial injuries (including contusions) and sprain and strain. Among severe injuries, the most frequent injuries were open wounds and contusions, followed by dislocations. The injuries were most common among women with an incidence of about 8.4 per 1000 in women older than 18 years of age (severe injuries: 3.4 per 1000 (2.2-5.1)).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries is high enough to raise concern in health system authorities. It could be estimated that about 23,927 to 38,283 persons get injured during the spring cleaning in Tehran at the beginning of every Persian new year. In addition, about 8,773-18,344 of these cases are expected to be severe enough to lead to medical attention (considering 7,975,679 as the population of Tehran at the time of study). Improving awareness of families, especially young women, regarding the scope and importance of spring cleaning safety can be suggested as the first population-based strategy to decrease the incidence of these injuries.</p