Dietary interventions for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in late life

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: In this review we will set out to evaluate the effects of dietary interventions for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in late-life

Dietary interventions for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid life

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: In this review we will set out to evaluate the effects of dietary interventions for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid-life and preventing cognitive decline in late life

Prediction of lightning inception by large ice particles and extensive air showers

We derive that lightning can start if the electric field is 15% of the breakdown field, and if elongated ice particles of 6 cm length and 100 free electrons per cm3 are present. This is one particular example set from a parameter range that we discuss as well. Our simulations include the permittivity ε(ω) of ice. 100 free electrons per cm3 exist at 5.5 km altitude in air showers created by cosmic particles of at least 5×1015  eV. If the electric field zone is 3 m high and 0.2  km2 in the horizontal direction, at least one discharge per minute can be triggered. The size distribution of the ice particles is crucial for our argument; more detailed measurements would be desirable

Lightning inception from ice particles and extensive air showers

The electric fields in thunderstorms can exceed the breakdown value locally near ice particles present in thunderclouds. But are fields high enough and the regions large enough to initiate a streamer discharge? And where would a sufficient density of free electrons come from to start the discharge in the humid air that rapidly binds electrons in water-clusters

Hepatitis E virus RNA in commercially available porcine livers in The Netherlands

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections caused by genotype 3 are increasingly observed in industrialized countries, without a distinct source. High similarity between human and swine strains of HEV strongly suggest possible zoonotic transmission. It was reported previously that in 55% of Dutch pig farms HEV-excreting fattening pigs were present. In the current study, presence of HEV RNA in commercially available porcine livers was shown. We examined 62 commercially available porcine livers for HEV contamination. Before examination of livers, the most sensitive combination of tissue disruption and RNA-extraction was chosen from four disruption and seven RNA-extraction methods. Four of 62 livers were shown to be positive for HEV RNA by RT-PCR and Southern blot hybridization, and three sequences were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of the sequences with previously published Dutch HEV genotype 3 sequences from humans and swine. To study infectivity of possible virus, three pigs were intravenously inoculated with suspensions from commercially available HEV positive livers. Two other pigs served as high-dose or low-dose controls. The low-dose control received a comparable viral count as animals receiving inocula from commercially available livers, the high dose control received a viral count that was known to generate infection. Faecal shedding of HEV was observed in the high-dose control, indicating that the control virus was infectious. No faecal shedding of HEV was observed for the low-dose control and the three pigs that were administered the commercially available livers extracts. In conclusion, HEV RNA was found in commercially available porcine livers. inoculation of susceptible pigs with extracts from HEV-positive livers did not lead to infection, but this may be a dose-dependent effect. The risk for consumers should be investigated further

Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in late life

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in late life

Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid life

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid life

TSH-CHECK-1 test: diagnostic accuracy and potential application to initiating treatment for hypothyroidism in patients on anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) promotes expression of thyroid hormones which are essential for metabolism, growth, and development. Second-line drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB) can cause hypothyroidism by suppressing thyroid hormone synthesis. Therefore, TSH levels are routinely measured in TB patients receiving second-line drugs, and thyroxin treatment is initiated where indicated. However, standard TSH tests are technically demanding for many low-resource settings where TB is prevalent; a simple and inexpensive test is urgently needed