International network for improving occupational health in Moldova

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, University of Miskolc, Miskolc, HungaryIntroduction. Working conditions and occupation are important determinants of health at the social level. Every year, almost 1.3 million people die from a work-related disease in the G20 countries and about 221,000 suffer a fatal occupational accident. Socio-economic instability in the Republic of Moldova in the last 30 years has resulted in negative repercussions on public health, which are characterized by excessive mortality of the working age population, low birth rate, negative natural increase. With regard to the health status of the working population, it is worth mentioning the practical reduction to zero of cases of occupational diseases against the background of constant growth of jobs that do not meet occupational health standards: by microclimate factors (38.4%), by intensity of noise (25.7%) and tremors (8.6%), by content of toxic substances (11.5%) and dust (9.7%). It should also be noted that in regular medical examinations of workers exposed to risk factors, on average only up to 3% are detected with work-related disease, while WHO experts claim that at least 35% of employees suffer from chronic diseases that require surveillance. Recently, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova ratified the ILO Convention Nr.161 on occupational health services. The ratification settings require elaboration of policies, legislation and a national program related to health and safety at the workplace. At present, the Republic of Moldova is facing essential challenges in organizing its Occupational Health services. Material and methods. An international collaborative network was set up between Moldova, Italy and Hungary, resulting in the elaboration of the Project „Improving Occupational Health and Safety System in Republic of Moldova”. The project involves the assessment of the most appropriate research methodologies for estimating risk factors due to occupational exposures. Also, it implies studying and assessment of the national legislative and normative acts in order to facilitate implementation of ILO Convention No. 161. The curriculum of the occupational health disciplines in medical education institutions will be reviewed in order to highlight the weaknesses in the local education. Communication, dissemination, skill developing, and knowledge sharing will be integral parts of the project. Results. Occupational health and safety specialists from the Republic of Moldova will benefit directly from a new type of working experience – "learning through research", in accordance with European and international regulations. In the long term, this trilateral collaboration will lead to the development of research and communication programs on the European scale. The project will help to provide more data on the current state of occupational health and safety fields in the Republic of Moldova. Also, the partnership with Republic of Moldova will create opportunities to share Italian and Hungarian experiences in occupational health and safety. Conclusions. Collaboration and partnership bring benefits to both beneficiary and knowledge sharing countries

Protein network formation during pound cake baking: The role of egg yolk and its fractions

Pound cake is made from equal portions of egg, wheat flour, sugar and margarine or butter. Its quality is codetermined by the protein network formed during baking. A key insight on egg yolk functionality is that during batter mixing the yolk granules disintegrate and dissolve most of their protein into the batter liquor. This was demonstrated by comparing the protein population of a reference batter liquor with that in batter liquor of which the added yolk was pretreated to disintegrate the granules. Using a 15N-labeling approach, the protein network formation was monitored during cake baking in an electrical resistance oven. Protein was extracted in different media, i.e. diluted saline, aqueous ethanol, a buffer containing sodium dodecyl sulfate and one containing dithiothreitol, and analyzed by size-exclusion HPLC. Both egg yolk plasma and granule proteins are incorporated in the protein network by disulfide crosslinking during pound cake baking. Only phosvitin, which lacks both free sulfhydryl and intermolecular disulfide bonds, does not take part in the protein network via disulfide bridge formation.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Protein network formation during pound cake baking: The role of egg yolk and its fractions journaltitle: Food Hydrocolloids articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.07.036 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.status: publishe

High Acetate Concentration Protects Intestinal Barrier and Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Organoid-Derived Epithelial Monolayer Cultures from Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Short-chain fatty acids as well as their bacterial producers are of increasing interest in inflammatory bowel diseases. Although less studied compared to butyrate, acetate might also be of interest as it may be less toxic to epithelial cells, stimulate butyrate-producing bacteria by cross-feeding, and have anti-inflammatory and barrier-protective properties. Moreover, one of the causative factors of the probiotic potency of Saccharomyces cerevisae var. boulardii is thought to be its high acetate production. Therefore, the objective was to preclinically assess the effects of high acetate concentrations on inflammation and barrier integrity in organoid-based monolayer cultures from ulcerative colitis patients. Confluent organoid-derived colonic epithelial monolayers (n = 10) were exposed to basolateral inflammatory stimulation or control medium. After 24 h, high acetate or control medium was administered apically for an additional 48 h. Changes in TEER were measured after 48 h. Expression levels of barrier genes and inflammatory markers were determined by qPCR. Pro-inflammatory proteins in the supernatant were quantified using the MSD platform. Increased epithelial resistance was observed with high acetate administration in both inflamed and non-inflamed conditions, together with decreased expression levels of IL8 and TNFα and CLDN1. Upon high acetate administration to inflamed monolayers, upregulation of HIF1α, MUC2, and MKI67, and a decrease of the majority of pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed. In our patient-derived human epithelial cell culture model, a protective effect of high acetate administration on epithelial resistance, barrier gene expression, and inflammatory protein production was observed. These findings open up new possibilities for acetate-mediated management of barrier defects and inflammation in IBD

The first international Rome consensus conference on gut microbiota and faecal microbiota transplantation in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND: Several randomised clinical trials (RCTs) performing faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly for ulcerative colitis, have recently been published, but with major variations in study design. These include differences in administered dose, route and frequency of delivery, type of placebo and evaluated endpoints. Although the overall outcomes appear to be promising, they are highly dependent on both donor and recipient factors. OBJECTIVE: To develop concensus-based statements and recommendations for the evaluation, management and potential treatment of IBD using FMT in order to move towards standardised practices. DESIGN: An international panel of experts convened several times to generate evidence-based guidelines by performing a deep evaluation of currently available and/or published data. Twenty-five experts in IBD, immunology and microbiology collaborated in different working groups to provide statements on the following key issues related to FMT in IBD: (A) pathogenesis and rationale, (B) donor selection and biobanking, (C) FMT practices and (D) consideration of future studies and perspectives. Statements were evaluated and voted on by all members using an electronic Delphi process, culminating in a plenary consensus conference and generation of proposed guidelines. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our group has provided specific statements and recommendations, based on best available evidence, with the end goal of providing guidance and general criteria required to promote FMT as a recognised strategy for the treatment of IBD