13 research outputs found
Effects of a practice-focused nutrition intervention in Hungarian adolescents
Introduction. This work evaluated the impact of a nutrition intervention in school children of 6th and 7th grade and assessed whether changes persisted after the summer break.Materials and methods. Eight classes of Hungarian adolescents (45% boys; 12.6 ± 0.1 years) were randomized into intervention (n = 117) and control (n = 112) groups. The 9-month long intervention included: 1) weekly classroom-based education with strong focus on practical elements such as tasting and meal preparation; 2) five sessions of afterschool cooking classes (open to children, parents and grandparents); and 3) online education materials. Anthropometric parameters (weight, height, waist circumference and body fat), aerobic fitness (Cooper test, 20-meter shuttle run test), nutrition knowledge and behaviors (questionnaires) were measured three times at baseline, post-intervention and after the summer holiday.Results. Slight improvement in dietary knowledge and habits from baseline to post-intervention which did not persist after summer. Aerobic fitness increased in the intervention group, while did not change among controls. Anthropometric parameters remained unchanged in the intervention group, but waist circumference increased in controls, particularly in summer.Conclusions. Findings suggest a positive impact of this intervention. Measures to mitigate unhealthy changes during the summer break are needed
Experimental induction of autotomy in two potential model lumbricid earthworms Eisenia andrei and Aporrectodea caliginosa
Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years
Mineral nitrogen fertilisers remain a crucial factor even in the ecological intensification of agriculture
The negative impact on the environment caused by intensive agriculture has been extensively discussed for years. In particular, excessive nitrogen application has been associated with biodiversity loss. Many studies have shown the potential to reduce the use of nitrogen without any impact on crop yield. Maintaining crop yield has been the goal, whereas crop quality has not been considered. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the level of soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen fertiliser application on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield and its quality. We show that the absence of nitrogen fertiliser decreased both yield and quality parameters of cereal grain. Quality parameters, such as protein and gluten contents, zeleny value, falling number and hardness were strongly positively influenced by nitrogen fertiliser application. The SOC level had no significant effect on these grain quality parameters. As a result, in the absence of nitrogen fertiliser, grain was not suitable for baking bread. We recommend that in the debate on the potential to limit the use of nitrogen in agricultural production, its impact on grain quality should be taken into consideration, especially at low levels of SOC
Exposure of Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta; Lumbricidea) to cadmium polluted soil inhibits earthworm maturation and reproduction but not restoration of experimentally depleted coelomocytes or aegeneration of amputated segments
Depletion of muscularis macrophages ameliorates inflammation-driven dysmotility in murine colitis model
Abstract Previously, the presence of a blood-myenteric plexus barrier and its disruption was reported in experimentally induced colitis via a macrophage-dependent process. The aim of this study is to reveal how myenteric barrier disruption and subsequent neuronal injury affects gut motility in vivo in a murine colitis model. We induced colitis with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), with the co-administration of liposome-encapsulated clodronate (l-clodronate) to simultaneously deplete blood monocytes contributing to macrophage infiltration in the inflamed muscularis of experimental mice. DSS-treated animals receiving concurrent l-clodronate injection showed significantly decreased blood monocyte numbers and colon muscularis macrophage (MM) density compared to DSS-treated control (DSS-vehicle). DSS-clodronate-treated mice exhibited significantly slower whole gut transit time than DSS-vehicle-treated animals and comparable to that of controls. Experiments with oral gavage-fed Evans-blue dye showed similar whole gut transit times in DSS-clodronate-treated mice as in control animals. Furthermore, qPCR-analysis and immunofluorescence on colon muscularis samples revealed that factors associated with neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, including Bax1, Hdac4, IL-18, Casp8 and Hif1a are overexpressed after DSS-treatment, but not in the case of concurrent l-clodronate administration. Our findings highlight that MM-infiltration in the muscularis layer is responsible for colitis-associated dysmotility and enteric neuronal dysfunction along with the release of mediators associated with neurodegeneration in a murine experimental model
Local and landscape-level factors affecting the density and distribution of the Feral Pigeon Columba livia var. domestica in an urban environment
Prevalence Of Severe Obesity Among Primary School Children In 21 European Countries
Background The World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) was established more than 10 years ago to estimate prevalence and monitor changes in overweight and obesity in children aged 6–9 years. Since then, there have been five rounds of data collection in more than 40 countries involving more than half a million children. To date, no comparative studies with data on severe childhood obesity from European countries have been published. Objectives The aim of this work was to present the prevalence of severe obesity in school-aged children from 21 countries participating in COSI. Method The data are from cross-sectional studies in 21 European WHO member states that took part in the first three COSI rounds of data collection (2007/2008, 2009/2010, 2012/2013). School-aged children were measured using standardized instruments and methodology. Children were classified as severely obese using the definitions provided by WHO and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). Analyses overtime, by child's age and mother's educational level, were performed in a select group of countries. Results A total of 636,933 children were included in the analysis (323,648 boys and 313,285 girls). The prevalence of severe obesity varied greatly among countries, with higher values in Southern Europe. According to the WHO definition, severe obesity ranged from 1.0% in Swedish and Moldovan children (95% CI 0.7–1.3 and 0.7–1.5, respectively) to 5.5% (95% CI 4.9–6.1) in Maltese children. The prevalence was generally higher among boys compared to girls. The IOTF cut-offs lead to lower estimates, but confirm the differences among countries, and were more similar for both boys and girls. In many countries 1 in 4 obese children were severely obese. Applying the estimates of prevalence based on the WHO definition to the whole population of children aged 6–9 years in each country, around 398,000 children would be expected to be severely obese in the 21 European countries. The trend between 2007 and 2013 and the analysis by child's age did not show a clear pattern. Severe obesity was more common among children whose mother's educational level was lower. Conclusions Severe obesity is a serious public health issue which affects a large number of children in Europe. Because of the impact on educational, health, social care, and economic systems, obesity needs to be addressed via a range of approaches from early prevention of overweight and obesity to treatment of those who need it.PubMedWoSScopu
Can’t see the Woodlark for the trees? Commercial forests as a habitat for a bird of conservation concern
Agricultural economics and transition: What was expected, what we observed, the lessons learned Proceedings (Volume I / II)
Over fifteen years have elapsed since the transition from the centrally planned
economic system started in the early 1990’s. During this time agricultural and
rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone profound structural
changes with wide variations in the degree of transformation and in the rate of
success in creating a competitive market and private ownership based food and
agricultural system. By becoming member of the European Union the "transition"
in its traditional interpretation has been concluded in ten of the Central East
European countries. The transition to market based agriculture, however, is far
from completion in Southern and Eastern Europe and especially in the CIS
countries.
International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) and European
Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) in collaboration with the
Corvinus University of Budapest and with a number of other institutions in
Hungary organized an inter-conference seminar on the subject of agricultural
transition in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The major objective
of the seminar was to discuss and draw conclusions on the role of agricultural
policy in the transition process in the light of actual progress and current situation
in Central and East European countries and in formal Soviet States. In addition
the contribution of agricultural economics – both from the West and from the
East – as a discipline and a profession to the transition process in agriculture were
discussed. A specific objective was to identify priorities and means to strengthen
the agricultural economics profession in the transition countries and determine
research and educational priorities for the future.
The seminar was attended by 118 participants representing 26 countries from
Europe, North America and Asia. The Seminar was the largest professional
meeting organized by the two associations in 2007. Over 110 abstracts were
submitted and evaluated by the International Program Committee. In the two
day program of the meeting, 8 presentations were made during the 3 plenary
sessions, 66 papers were presented in the 15 contributed paper sessions in 8 subject
categories. In addition there were 15 posters discussed in the poster session and
the findings of a World Bank study on distortions of agricultural incentives in
the region was the subject of a pre-conference workshop. Plenary speakers
included Ulrich Koester, Johan Swinnen, Jerzy Wilkin, Zvi Lerman, Eugenia
Serova and József Popp-Gábor Udovecz. At the end of the seminar David Colman, President of IAAE gave a global assessment of the status of agricultural
economics discipline and profession, while Csaba Csáki, former President of
IAAE made summary comments on major issues discussed during the seminar.
This volume includes the plenary and contributed papers presented at the seminar
and submitted for publications by the authors as well as the abstracts of the poster
papers discussed.
The seminar was supported and sponsored by a number of organizations and
persons. All of their contributions have to be greatly acknowledged. First the
two international organizations IAAE and EAAE have to be mentioned, which
provided overall organizational framework and logistical support. The IAAE
provided in addition a generous grant to support the participation of young
agricultural economists from Central and Eastern Europe on the seminar. On the
Hungarian side the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Szent István University
of Gödöllő, the Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, the Hungarian
Agricultural Economics Association, the Hungarian Association of Agricultural
Sciences and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
were the major material and organizational supporters. The International Program
committee was chaired by David Colman and Csaba Csáki and included
Ulrich Koester, Joe Swinnen, Eugenia Serova and Jerzy Wilkin. The local
Organizing committee was chaired by Csaba Forgács and István Szűcs and
included Zoltán Lakner, András Nábrádi, József Popp, József Tóth, Gábor Udovecz,
László Vajda, László Villányi, Krisztina Fodor, Attila Jámbor and Tamás Mizik.
Finally IAMO, Halle facilitated the publication of this proceedings