Screening of antioxidant properties of the apple juice using the front-face synchronous fluorescence and chemometrics

Fluorescence spectroscopy is gaining increasing attention in food analysis due to its higher sensitivity and selectivity as compared to other spectroscopic techniques. Synchronous scanning fluorescence technique is particularly useful in studies of multi-fluorophoric food samples, providing a further improvement of selectivity by reduction in the spectral overlapping and suppressing light-scattering interferences. Presently, we study the feasibility of the prediction of the total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity using front-face synchronous fluorescence spectra of apple juices. Commercial apple juices from different product ranges were studied. Principal component analysis (PCA) applied to the unfolded synchronous fluorescence spectra was used to compare the fluorescence of the entire sample set. The regression analysis was performed using partial least squares (PLS1 and PLS2) methods on the unfolded total synchronous and on the single-offset synchronous fluorescence spectra. The best calibration models for all of the studied parameters were obtained using the PLS1 method for the single-offset synchronous spectra. The models for the prediction of the total flavonoid content had the best performance; the optimal model was obtained for the analysis of the synchronous fluorescence spectra at Delta lambda = 110 nm (R (2) = 0.870, residual predictive deviation (RPD) = 2.7). The optimal calibration models for the prediction of the total phenolic content (Delta lambda = 80 nm, R (2) = 0.766, RPD = 2.0) and the total antioxidant capacity (Delta lambda = 70 nm, R (2) = 0.787, RPD = 2.1) had only an approximate predictive ability. These results demonstrate that synchronous fluorescence could be a useful tool in fast semi-quantitative screening for the antioxidant properties of the apple juices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Factors associated with quality of life in systemic sclerosis: a cross-sectional study

© 2019, The Author(s). Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease characterized by progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, leading to their failure and disturbances in the morphology and function of blood vessels. The disease affects people in different ways, and identifying how the difficulties and limitations are related to quality of life may contribute to designing helpful interventions. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with quality of life in people with SSc. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 11 rheumatic centres in Poland. Patients diagnosed with SSc were included. Quality of life was measured using the SSc Quality of Life Questionnaire (SScQoL). The following candidate factors were entered in preliminary multivariable analysis: age, place of residence, marital status, occupational status, disease type, disease duration, pain, fatigue, intestinal problems, breathing problems, Raynaud’s symptoms, finger ulcerations, disease severity, functional disability, anxiety and depression. Factors that achieved statistical significance at the 10% level were then entered into a final multivariable model. Factors achieving statistical significance at the 5% level in the final model were considered to be associated with quality of life in SSc. Results: In total, 231 participants were included. Mean age (SD) was 55.82 (12.55) years, disease duration 8.39 (8.18) years and 198 (85.7%) were women. Factors associated with quality of life in SSc were functional disability (β = 2.854, p < 0.001) and anxiety (β = 0.404, p < 0.001). This model with two factors (functional disability and anxiety) explained 56.7% of the variance in patients with diffuse SSc and 73.2% in those with localized SSc. Conclusions: Functional disability and anxiety are significantly associated with quality of life in SSc. Interventions aimed at improving either of these factors may contribute towards improving the quality of life of people with SSc

Wybrane uwarunkowania osobowościowe pacjentów z reumatoidalnym zapaleniem stawów

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to identify selected personality determinants in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pilot clinical studies were performed in 108 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of the study sample (69%) was women. The study was conducted from March to April 2015 in the rheumatology departments of Silesian hospitals. The selected personality traits were measured using two psychometric tools: the A-Framingham Scale in Juczyński's Polish adaptation and the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory adapted to Polish conditions by Zawadzki et al. The study also used sociodemographic metrics. RESULTS: The study results showed an increased intensification of the type A behaviour pattern in the study group. A positive relationship was observed between the A pattern and neuroticism. Furthermore, statistically significant positive correlations were reported between extraversion and openness to experience, and between conscientiousness and agreeableness. Moreover, statistically significant negative relationships were found between neuroticism and extraversion and agreeableness. There was a significant correlation between sociodemographic variables such as gender, marital status, education, age, and personality traits like extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism, agreeableness and openness to experience. CONCLUSIONS: The personality factor is important in patients with RA. Continuing clinical trials with regard to personality determinants in patients with RA and learning about these conditions may contribute to deeper understanding of the etiopathogenesis, the course of the disease and more effective treatment of this condition.WSTĘP: Celem pracy było określenie wybranych uwarunkowań osobowościowych pacjentów z rozpoznanym reumatoidalnym zapaleniem stawów. MATERIAŁ I METODY: Badania kliniczne o charakterze pilotażowym przeprowadzono wśród 108 pacjentów z rozpoznanym reumatoidalnym zapaleniem stawów. Większość badanej próby (69%) stanowiły kobiety. Badania prowadzono od marca do kwietnia 2015 r. na oddziałach reumatologicznych szpitali województwa śląskiego. Wybrane cechy osobowościowe zmierzono za pomocą dwóch narzędzi psychometrycznych: Skali Typu A-Framingham w polskiej adaptacji Juczyńskiego oraz Inwentarza Osobowości NEO-FFI, zaadaptowanego do polskich warunków przez Zawadzkiego i wsp. W badaniu wykorzystano także metryczkę socjodemograficzną. WYNIKI: Wyniki badań wykazały podwyższone nasilenie wzoru zachowania A w badanej grupie. Stwierdzono dodatnią zależność między wzorem zachowania A a neurotycznością. Zaobserwowano również istotne statystycznie dodatnie związki między ekstrawersją a otwartością na doświadczenie oraz między sumiennością i ugodowością. Wykazano także, że zachodzą istotne statystycznie ujemne związki między neurotycznością a ekstrawersją oraz ugodowością. Zaobserwowano istotną korelację pomiędzy zmiennymi socjodemograficznymi, takimi jak: płeć, stan cywilny, wykształcenie, wiek, a cechami osobowościowymi, jak: ekstrawersja, sumienność i neurotyczność, ugodowość i otwartość na doświadczenie. WNIOSKI: Czynnik osobowościowy ma istotne znaczenie u pacjentów z rozpoznanym RZS. Kontynuacja badań klinicznych w zakresie uwarunkowań osobowościowych chorych na RZS oraz poznanie tych uwarunkowań mogą przyczynić się do głębszego zrozumienia etiopatogenezy, przebiegu choroby oraz wpłynąć na efektywniejsze leczenie tego schorzenia

Intermittent Fasting in Cardiovascular Disorders—An Overview

Intermittent fasting is a form of time restricted eating (typically 16 h fasting and 8 h eating), which has gained popularity in recent years and shows promise as a possible new paradigm in the approach to weight loss and the reduction of inflammation, and has many potential long term health benefits. In this review, the authors will incorporate many aspects of fasting, mainly focusing on its effects on the cardiovascular system, involving atherosclerosis progression, benefits for diabetes mellitus type 2, lowering of blood pressure, and exploring other cardiovascular risk factors (such as lipid profile and inflammation)