Usporedba kakvoće dimljenih smrznutih i ohlađenih proizvoda od pačjeg mesa

The aim of the project was to assess the influence of processes of preservation (chilling and freezing) on quali-ty parameters of the thermally treated poultry meat pro-ducts. Duck breasts were first defrosted, and then cooked and preserved by chilling and deep-freezing. In the next phase, the individual sensory, physical and chemical, and microbiological parameters were compared. Observation of their influence on qualitative properties of both products followed. Comparison of quality of smoked duck breasts preserved by freezing and chilling proved that both ways of preservation did not affect the original properties of products. Even some of the examined individual sensory parameters (taste, flavor, and tenderness)showed higher values in pair test. Microbiological quality of both products was in accordance with requirements of the Codex alimentarius of the Slovak Republic.Cilj ispitivanja je bila procjena utjecaja procesa konzerviranja (hlađenja i smrzavanja) na kvalitativne parametre termički obrađenih proizvoda od mesa peradi. Pačja prsa su najprije odmrznuta, a zatim kuhana i konzervirana hlađenjem ili smrzavanjem. U sljedećoj fazi, uspoređeni su pojedini senzorni, te fizikalni, kemijski i mikrobiološki parametri. Nakon toga je slijedilo praćenje njihovog utjecaja na kvalitativna svojstva oba proizvoda. Usporedba kakvoće dimljenih pačjih prsiju, prethodno smrznutih ili ohlađenih, pokazala je da oba načina konzerviranja ne utječu na izvorna svojstva proizvoda iako su u analizi pojedinih senzornih parametara (okus, miris i nježnost) veće vrijednosti dobivene u parnim usporednim testovima. Mikrobiološka kakvoća oba proizvoda bila je sukladna zahtjevima Codex alimentarius Republike Slovačke

Deriving a Provisional Tolerable Intake for Intravenous Exposure to Silver Nanoparticles Released from Medical Devices

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are incorporated into medical devices for their anti-microbial characteristics. The potential exposure and toxicity of AgNPs is unknown due to varying physicochemical particle properties and lack of toxicological data. The aim of this safety assessment is to derive a provisional tolerable intake (pTI) value for AgNPs released from blood-contacting medical devices. A literature review of in vivo studies investigating critical health effects induced from intravenous (i. v.) exposure to AgNPs was evaluated by the Annapolis Accords principles and Toxicological Data Reliability Assessment Tool (ToxRTool). The point of departure (POD) was based on an i. v. 28-day repeated AgNP (20 nm) dose toxicity study reporting an increase in relative spleen weight in rats with a 5% lower confidence bound of the benchmark dose (BMDL05) of 0.14 mg/kg bw/day. The POD was extrapolated to humans by a modifying factor of 1,000 to account for intraspecies variability, interspecies differences and lack of long-term toxicity data. The pTI for long-term i. v. exposure to 20 nm AgNPs released from blood-contacting medical devices was 0.14 μg/kg bw/day. This pTI may not be appropriate for nanoparticles of other physicochemical properties or routes of administration. The methodology is appropriate for deriving pTIs for nanoparticles in general

Comprehensive Analysis of Two H13-Type Starting Materials Used for Laser Cladding and Aerosol Particles Formed in This Process

Laser cladding with H13 steel powders was performed and the related material transformations were studied for the particles emitted during this process. Fractions of various sizes of the aerosol particles formed during the laser cladding were collected on a cascade impactor, while the electromobility and the aerodynamic size of the particles were measured using a scanning mobility particle spectrometer and an aerodynamic particle sizer, respectively. The aerosol particles deposited onto the impactor plates were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, as well as total-reflection X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy. Both the concentration and mean oxidation state of the major components were correlated with the aerosol particle size. The ultrafine aerosol particles (with a diameter less than about 100 nm) were predominantly oxidized and formed as the result of an evaporation–oxidation–condensation process sequence. The larger particles (>200 nm in geometric diameter) were primarily the residues of the original metal powder and exhibited a composition change as compared to the as-received metal powder. Correlations between the changes in the concentration ratio of the components were detected and explained

On the Causality and Stability of the Relativistic Diffusion Equation

This paper examines the mathematical properties of the relativistic diffusion equation. The peculiar solution which Hiscock and Lindblom identified as an instability is shown to emerge from an ill-posed initial value problem. These do not meet the mathematical conditions required for realistic physical problems and can not serve as an argument against the relativistic hydrodynamics of Landau and Lifshitz.Comment: 6 page

Colon polyps in patients with short bowel syndrome before and after teduglutide: post hoc analysis of the STEPS study series

Background & aims: Teduglutide promotes intestinal growth and is approved for the treatment of short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure (SBS-IF). Based on the pharmacologic activity and preclinical findings, teduglutide can potentially induce proliferative colonic mucosal changes. The aim of this study is to report the occurrence of colorectal polyps in adult patients with SBS-IF who received teduglutide in clinical studies conducted to date. Methods: A post hoc analysis of the completed Study of Teduglutide Effectiveness in Parenteral Nutrition-Dependent Short Bowel Syndrome Subjects (STEPS) clinical study series (NCT00798967, EudraCT 2008-006193-15; NCT00930644, EudraCT 2009-011679-65; NCT01560403) evaluated electronic case report form data for baseline colonoscopies (performed before treatment) and for surveillance or end-of-study (performed after treatment with teduglutide 0.05 mg/kg/day for 24 and 36 months) post-exposure procedures. Results: In the STEPS studies, 73 patients treated with teduglutide had a baseline colonoscopy. No post-exposure colonoscopy was scheduled in STEPS. In STEPS-2/3, 50 of 65 patients with remnant colon (77%) underwent a protocol-mandated post-exposure colonoscopy. Colon polyps were reported at baseline in 12% (9/73) of patients and post-exposure in 18% (9/50) of patients. Two had polyps both at baseline and post-exposure. On histology, available for 7 patients, 5 had adenomas (1 serrated, 4 tubular) and none had malignancy or high-grade dysplasia. Conclusion: These data support recommendations for colonoscopic screening before teduglutide therapy and subsequent on-therapy colonoscopic surveillance for patients with SBS-IF. Further studies are required to assess the risk of polyp formation in patients with SBS-IF and the most appropriate colon polyp surveillance strategies

Characterization of the ultrafine and fine particles formed during laser cladding with the Inconel 718 metal powder by means of X-ray spectroscopic techniques

Additive manufacturing is a rapidly growing industrial technology. Still, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the fine particle emission and new particle formation during the processes and their consequences on the performance of the operation and the operator's health as well. Therefore, we studied the properties of the emitted particles during the 3D printing process using the Inconel 718 (Ni-based) superalloy. The number and the mass concentrations were measured with a Scanning Mobility Particle Counter and Sizer. Size-fractionated samples were collected by a cascade impactor, and the elemental composition of the particles was determined by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, and microscopic X-ray fluorescence analysis in the different size fractions. The oxidation states of the metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni) in the samples were determined with the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) method. Most of the particles were found in the ultrafine region with a size below 100 nm, and the mass size distribution had the maximum at 85 nm. In the original powder, Ni was dominating with appr. 52 wt%, and the proportion of Cr was around 20 wt%, and Mn was below 1 wt%. In the released particles, the Ni content decreased to appr. 26 wt%, the Cr content increased to appr. 47 wt% and Mn increased to around 10 wt% for particles with a size between 0.07 and 10 μm. According to the XANES results, Cr, Mn and Fe were found to be oxidized significantly, whereas Ni remained in the metallic form in the total emitted aerosol containing mostly ultrafine particles. The enrichment and oxidation of metals were correlated with each other

LMNA variants cause cytoplasmic distribution of nuclear pore proteins in Drosophila and human muscle

Mutations in the human LMNA gene, encoding A-type lamins, give rise to laminopathies, which include several types of muscular dystrophy. Here, heterozygous sequence variants in LMNA, which result in single amino-acid substitutions, were identified in patients exhibiting muscle weakness. To assess whether the substitutions altered lamin function, we performed in vivo analyses using a Drosophila model. Stocks were generated that expressed mutant forms of the Drosophila A-type lamin modeled after each variant. Larvae were used for motility assays and histochemical staining of the body-wall muscle. In parallel, immunohistochemical analyses were performed on human muscle biopsy samples from the patients. In control flies, muscle-specific expression of the wild-type A-type lamin had no apparent affect. In contrast, expression of the mutant A-type lamins caused dominant larval muscle defects and semi-lethality at the pupal stage. Histochemical staining of larval body wall muscle revealed that the mutant A-type lamin, B-type lamins, the Sad1p, UNC-84 domain protein Klaroid and nuclear pore complex proteins were mislocalized to the cytoplasm. In addition, cytoplasmic actin filaments were disorganized, suggesting links between the nuclear lamina and the cytoskeleton were disrupted. Muscle biopsies from the patients showed dystrophic histopathology and architectural abnormalities similar to the Drosophila larvae, including cytoplasmic distribution of nuclear envelope proteins. These data provide evidence that the Drosophila model can be used to assess the function of novel LMNA mutations and support the idea that loss of cellular compartmentalization of nuclear proteins contributes to muscle disease pathogenesis

Ultra-rare mutations in SRCAP segregate in Caribbean Hispanic families with Alzheimer disease.

OBJECTIVE: To identify rare coding variants segregating with late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) in Caribbean Hispanic families. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was completed in 110 individuals from 31 Caribbean Hispanic families without APOE ε4 homozygous carriers. Rare coding mutations segregating in families were subsequently genotyped in additional families and in an independent cohort of Caribbean Hispanic patients and controls. SRCAP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was assessed in whole blood from mutation carriers with LOAD, noncarriers with LOAD, and healthy elderly controls, and also from autopsied brains in 2 clinical neuropathologic cohort studies of aging and dementia. RESULTS: Ten ultra-rare missense mutations in the Snf2-related CREBBP, activator protein (SRCAP), were found in 12 unrelated families. Compared with the frequency in Caribbean Hispanic controls and the Latino population in the Exome Aggregation Consortium, the frequency of SRCAP mutations among Caribbean Hispanic patients with LOAD was significantly enriched (p = 1.19e-16). mRNA expression of SRCAP in whole blood was significantly lower in mutation carriers with LOAD, while the expression in whole blood and in the brain was significantly higher in nonmutation carriers with LOAD. Brain expression also correlated with clinical and neuropathologic endophenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: WES in Caribbean Hispanic families with LOAD revealed ultra-rare missense mutations in SRCAP, a gene expressed in the brain and mutated in Floating-Harbor syndrome. SRCAP is a potent coactivator of the CREB-binding protein and a regulator of DNA damage response involving ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling. We hypothesize that increased expression in LOAD suggests a compensatory mechanism altered in mutation carriers

The Proper Splicing of RNAi Factors Is Critical for Pericentric Heterochromatin Assembly in Fission Yeast

Heterochromatin preferentially assembles at repetitive DNA elements, playing roles in transcriptional silencing, recombination suppression, and chromosome segregation. The RNAi machinery is required for heterochromatin assembly in a diverse range of organisms. In fission yeast, RNA splicing factors are also required for pericentric heterochromatin assembly, and a prevailing model is that splicing factors provide a platform for siRNA generation independently of their splicing activity. Here, by screening the fission yeast deletion library, we discovered four novel splicing factors that are required for pericentric heterochromatin assembly. Sequencing total cellular RNAs from the strongest of these mutants, cwf14Δ, showed intron retention in mRNAs of several RNAi factors. Moreover, introducing cDNA versions of RNAi factors significantly restored pericentric heterochromatin in splicing mutants. We also found that mutations of splicing factors resulted in defective telomeric heterochromatin assembly and mis-splicing the mRNA of shelterin component Tpz1, and that replacement of tpz1+ with its cDNA partially rescued heterochromatin defects at telomeres in splicing mutants. Thus, proper splicing of RNAi and shelterin factors contributes to heterochromatin assembly at pericentric regions and telomeres

DNA-like class R inhibitory oligonucleotides (INH-ODNs) preferentially block autoantigen-induced B-cell and dendritic cell activation in vitro and autoantibody production in lupus-prone MRL-Faslpr/lpr mice in vivo

INTRODUCTION. B cells have many different roles in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ranging from autoantigen recognition and processing to effector functions (for example, autoantibody and cytokine secretion). Recent studies have shown that intracellular nucleic acid-sensing receptors, Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR9, play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Dual engagement of rheumatoid factor-specific AM14 B cells through the B-cell receptor (BCR) and TLR7/9 results in marked proliferation of autoimmune B cells. Thus, strategies to preferentially block innate activation through TLRs in autoimmune B cells may be preferred over non-selective B-cell depletion. METHODS. We have developed a new generation of DNA-like compounds named class R inhibitory oligonucleotides (INH-ODNs). We tested their effectiveness in autoimmune B cells and interferon-alpha-producing dendritic cells in vitro and in lupus-prone MRL-Faslpr/lpr mice in vivo. RESULTS. Class R INH-ODNs have 10- to 30-fold higher inhibitory potency when autoreactive B cells are synergistically activated through the BCR and associated TLR7 or 9 than when stimulation occurs via non-BCR-engaged TLR7/9. Inhibition of TLR9 requires the presence of both CCT and GGG triplets in an INH-ODN, whereas the inhibition of the TLR7 pathway appears to be sequence-independent but dependent on the phosphorothioate backbone. This difference was also observed in the MRL-Faslpr/lpr mice in vivo, where the prototypic class R INH-ODN was more effective in curtailing abnormal autoantibody secretion and prolonging survival. CONCLUSIONS. The increased potency of class R INH-ODNs for autoreactive B cells and dendritic cells may be beneficial for lupus patients by providing pathway-specific inhibition yet allowing them to generate protective immune response when needed.National Institutes of Health (AI047374, AI064736); Alliance for Lupus Researc