The BELFRAIL (BFC80+) study: a population-based prospective cohort study of the very elderly in Belgium

In coming decades the proportion of very elderly people living in the Western world will dramatically increase. This forthcoming "grey epidemic" will lead to an explosion of chronic diseases. In order to anticipate booming health care expenditures and to assure that social security is funded in the future, research focusing on the relationship between chronic diseases, frailty and disability is needed. The general aim of the BELFRAIL cohort study (BFC80+) is to study the dynamic interaction between health, frailty and disability in a multi-system approach focusing on cardiac dysfunction and chronic heart failure, lung function, sarcopenia, renal insufficiency and immunosenescence

Utjecaj uvjeta uzgoja i dodatka soli na sastav eteričnog ulja slatkog mažurana (Origanum majorana) iz Tunisa

O. majorana shoots were investigated for their essential oil (EO) composition. Two experiments were carried out; the first on hydroponic medium in a culture chamber and the second on inert sand in a greenhouse for 20 days. Plants were cultivated for 17 days in hydroponic medium supplemented with NaCl 100 mmol L1. The results showed that the O. majorana hydroponic medium offered higher essential oil yield than that from the greenhouse. The latter increased significantly in yield (by 50 %) under saline constraint while it did not change in the culture chamber. Under greenhouse conditions and in the absence of salt treatment, the major constituents were terpinene-4-ol and trans-sabinene hydrate. However, in the culture chamber, the major volatile components were cis-sabinene hydrate and terpinene-4-ol. In the presence of NaCl, new compounds appeared, such as eicosane, spathulenol, eugenol, and phenol. In addition, in the greenhouse, with or without salt, a very important change of trans-sabinene hydrate concentration in EO occurred, whereas in the culture chamber change appeared in cis-sabinene hydrate content.U radu je opisano ispitivanje sastava eteričnog ulja izdanaka biljke O. majorana. Provedena su dva eksperimenta: prvi na hidroponom mediju u komorama za uzgoj, a drugi na inertnom pijesku u stakleniku tijekom 20 dana. Biljke su uzgajane 17 dana u hidroponom mediju u koji je dodan NaCl 100 mmol L1. Rezultati ukazuju na to da hidroponi medij O. majorana osigurava veće prinose eteričnog ulja nego staklenik. U stakleniku se prinos ulja značajno povećao dodavanjem 50 % soli dok u uzgoju u uzgojnoj komori nije bilo promjene. U uvjetima u stakleniku i u odsutnosti soli, najvažniji sastojci ulja bili su terpinen-4-ol i trans-sabinen hidrat, dok su u uvjetima uzgojne komore najvažnije hlapljive komponente bile cis-sabinen hidrat i terpinen-4-ol. U prisutnosti NaCl-a, pojavili su se novi sastojci, kao što su eikozan, spatulenol, eugenol i fenol. Dodatno je uz stakleničke uvjete, sa i bez soli, došlo do važne promjene u količini trans-sabinen hidrata u eteričnom ulju, dok se u komorama promijenio sadržaj cis-sabinen hidrata

Biomimetic Membrane System Composed of a Composite Interpenetrating Hydrogel Film and a Lipid Bilayer

International audienceA simple way to form an interpenetrating hydrogel (IPH) by combining a layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte membrane with agarose is reported. The formed IPH membrane is more robust and easily manipulated compared to a polyelectrolyte membrane with the same number of layers. The IPH has good diffusion characteristics and retains the advantageous surface charge from the polyectrolyte composition that facilitates the adsorption of a stable lipid bilayer. The stable adsorption of a lipid bilayer on the IPH creates a biomimetic membrane system that is optimized for utilization in a diffusion chamber

Survey of sulfites in wine and various Turkish food and food products intended for export, 2007–2010

Surveys were carried out between 2007 and 2010 to determine the total levels of sulfites in 1245 samples of wines, dried apricots, dried vegetables, nuts, juices and purees, frozen foods and cereals containing dried fruit supplied by food inspectors and by food producers for testing or for export certification. Sulfite analysis of wine was carried out using the Ripper method with an LOQ of 5 mg l(-1) and for dried and other foods the Monier-Williams distillation procedure was employed with an LOQ of 10 mg kg(-1). In the survey all wines contained measurable sulfites, but with the exception of one sample of white wine they were otherwise below Turkish Food Codex limits of 160 mg kg(-1) for red wine, 210 mg kg(-1) to white wine and 235 mg kg(-1) for sparkling wine. None of the cereal products, frozen foods, juices or purees contained sulfites above 10 mg kg(-1). However, all dried apricot samples contained significant levels of sulfite with around 40% having levels exceeding the Turkish limit of 2000 mg kg(-1). Significant levels of sulfite were found in other samples of dried fruit with even a fruit and nut bar containing 1395 mg kg(-1) of sulfite, suggesting the dried fruit ingredients contained levels above regulatory limits

Outcomes of surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement in patients ≤65 and \u3e65 years of age

BACKGROUND: Implantation of a bioprosthetic valve is a reasonable choice for patients aged \u3e65 years. For middle-aged patients, there is less certainty about whether a mechanical or bioprosthetic valve is best. METHODS: The PERIcardial SurGical AOrtic Valve ReplacemeNt (PERIGON) Pivotal Trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Avalus bioprosthesis. We evaluated clinical and echocardiographic outcomes through 5 years of follow-up, stratified by age ≤65 and \u3e65 years. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-one patients (24.2%) were ≤65 years old, and 847 (75.8%) were \u3e65 years old. Most patients in both groups were male (217 [80.1%] vs 623 [73.6%], respectively; p=0.031). Younger patients had a lower STS risk of mortality (1.1±0.9% vs 2.2±1.4%, p\u3c0.001), better baseline New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (p=0.004), and fewer comorbidities than older patients. At 5 years, mortality was lower among younger than older patients (5.3% vs 14.0%, p\u3c0.001), and there were no cases of SVD in either group. Effective orifice area (EOA) was similar between age groups (p=0.11), and mean gradient was 13.9±5.4 vs 12.0±4.1 mmHg (p\u3c0.001). Multivariable linear regression identified several parameters associated with mean aortic gradient at 5 years, including age, stroke volume index and EOA at discharge and up to 30 days, and implanted valve size. Ninety-five percent of patients were in NYHA class I/II through 5 years in both age groups (p=0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this analysis demonstrate satisfactory safety, hemodynamic performance, and durability of the Avalus bioprosthesis through 5-year follow-up in patients ≤65 and \u3e65 years of age

Fate of proteic and lipidic compounds during production of a traditional legume condiment (Soumbala) made from African Locust Bean ( Parkia biglobosa ) seeds

International audienceSoumbala is made from African locust bean seeds (Parkia biglobosa), a legume widely spread in west Africa. It is a lipid and protein-rich condiment obtained by three main steps: cooking, fermentation and drying. Ten different analysis were made on AFLBS samples at each step with a particular focus on protein and lipid fates. Results showed that cooking decreased markedly the carbohydrate content leaving mainly proteins and lipids as substrates for fermentation. During this step, 20% of the proteins were converted into free amino acids, mainly glutamic acid and tyrosine. Significant biogenic amines release occurred and reached 50 mg per 100 g of dried ALBS. Di-glycerides and fatty acids increased markedly and represented 11% and 7% of the total lipids of dried ALBS. These results give a complete view of the nutritional characteristics of dried ALBS, its benefit but also its defects that arise during fermentation and not suppressed by the subsequent processing steps

Use of multi-response modelling to investigate mechanisms of β-carotene degradation in dried orange-fleshed sweet potato during storage: from carotenoids to aroma compounds

In order to give insight into β-carotene degradation mechanism during the storage of dried orange-fleshed sweet potato, and particularly into the role of isomers and norisoprenoids formation, multi-response kinetic modelling was applied. Determination of degradation compounds were carried out by HPLD-DAD and SPME-GC-MS as a function of time between 10 and 40 °C and at four water activities from 0.13 to 0.76. Kinetic modelling was developed assuming first-order reactions and by using mass balance. Eight compounds, namely, two isomers (9-cis- and 13-cis-β-carotene), two β-carotene epoxides (β-carotene 5,6 and 5,8 epoxide) and four volatile compounds (β-cyclocitral, β-ionone, 5,6-epoxy-β-ionone and dihydroactinidiolide), were integrated into two theoretical reaction schemes. The different models were discriminated according to goodness of fit to experimental data. This work showed that: (1) the formation of cis-isomers from β-carotene preceded oxidation, (2) β-cyclocitral arose directly from β-carotene scission while the other norisoprenoids resulted from β-carotene epoxide degradation, (3) cis-isomers were high reactive compounds. Temperature had a major influence on reaction rates k while water activities only impacted k at values under 0.51. Therefore, multi-response modelling is not only a tool to predict β-carotene degradation but a interesting way to select the appropriate degradation scheme based on the different options presented in literature