Účinok kaempferolu a naringenínu môže zlepšiť in vitro kvalitu uchovávaných kančích spermií

Determination of the effect of pure bioactive substances on male reproductive cells is a current theme amongst veterinary andrologists. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effect of various concentrations of kaempferol and naringenin on boar male gametes in different time periods (0, 24, 48 and 72h). The computer-assisted semen analysis was used to measure the sperm motility. Mitochondrial activity was determined by the mitochondrial toxicity test (MTT). The formation of the superoxide radical, as a marker of oxidative stress, was analysed by the nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT) test. The results showed that every selected concentration of both substances came along with beneficial effect on the structure and function of spermatozoa. Particularly, naringenin at concentrations of 10-50 µmol/L and kaempferol at concentrations of 5-25 µmol/L may provide beneficial effects on spermatozoa, thus prolong the storage period and improve the quality of preserved boar spermatozoa.Determinácia účinku čistých bioaktívnych látok na samčie reprodukčné bunky je aktuálnou témou medzi veterinárnymi andrológmi. Cieľom tejto štúdie bolo vyšetriť in vitro účinok rôznych koncentrácií kaempferolu a naringenínu na samčie gaméty kancov v rozličných časových periódach (0, 24, 48 a 72h). Počítačomasistovaná analýza spermií bola použitá na meranie motility spermií. Mitochondriálnu aktivitu sme určili mitochondriálnym testom toxicity (MTT). Tvorenie superoxidového radikálu, ako markera oxidatívneho stresu, sme analyzovali nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT) testom. Výsledky ukázali, že každá vybratá koncentrácia oboch substancií má prospešný účinok na štruktúru a funkciu spermií. Obzvlášť naringenín o koncentráciách 10-50 µmol.l-1 a kaempferol o koncentráciách 5-25 µmol*l-1 môžu poskytnúť prospešné účinky na spermie, čím sa predĺži čas uchovávania a zlepší sa kvalita prezervovaných kančích spermií

Vitamin E: Recommended Intake

Data of vitamin E intake and status are controversial. Vitamin E is an essential micronutrient for humans and achieving an optimal status is assumed to produce beneficial health outcomes. Dietary intake recommendations for vitamin E vary considerably by different countries and organizations. It appears to be still a challenge to define these despite the wealth of data published. Vitamin E requirements have been proposed to depend on other nutritional factors, such as the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Although several foods contain naturally occurring sources of vitamin E, it is frequently the case that the intake recommendations are not achieved. Several other dietary factors affect the need for vitamin E. In this regard, significant challenges to be considered include the efficiency of other tocopherol variants and their properties that could affect the revision of the nutritional recommendations for vitamin E. Particularly, an ever-increasing evidence indicates that other vitamin E homologs may potentially present with a higher biological activity. Low dietary consumption of vitamin E, coupled with compelling evidence that increased intake of vitamin E above current recommendations for the general population may benefit older individuals

Male Reproductive Cancers and Infertility: A Mutual Relationship

Reproductive dysfunction and malignancies related to the male gender represent a serious health concern, whose incidence has significantly risen over the past years. Prior to treatment, testicular or prostate cancer patients often display poor semen characteristics similar to subfertile or infertile patients. This fact is underscored by cases where the malignancy is often diagnosed in males who undergo a general fertility screening. This review aims to examine the associations between male infertility and reproductive cancers focusing on common etiologies and biological mechanisms underlining these pathologies. Furthermore, we discuss compelling epidemiological data hypothesizing that male reproductive failure may act as a precursor of future andrological malignancies, including testicular or prostate cancer, thus providing a stimulus for a more specific research in male reproductive health and emphasizing the importance of this relation for physicians taking care of male patients with a reproductive disease

Probabilistic Analysis of a Hospital Building Slab Foundation

This paper deals with the design of a five-storey hospital building, in which we focus on the deterministic and probabilistic analysis of its slab foundation. The hospital building bearing structure was modeled as a reinforced concrete skeleton. The Boussinesque model was selected for the subsoil under the plate foundation, which was a model of the elastic half-space, where properties of individual layers of the subsoil were entered according to the geological survey. The geological topology consisted of clay gravel and also included a layer of clay sand. In the stochastic solution, the variance of values was considered for individual mechanical properties of different types of soil. We analyzed the influence of the variance of input values on the resulting deflections, strain, and stress state of the plate foundation. Two variants of the solution were considered on the given numerical example. Probability calculations confirmed the probability of failure, which was allowed for the second limit state

Analysis of a Bending-Stressed Pile in Interaction with Subsoil

This study explored reinforced concrete piles located in a flexible half-space and loaded with external loads, considering various contact elements and the connection between the pile and the ground massif. Piles are mainly solved as axially loaded elements stressed by a vertical force. However, there are also several cases in the construction industry where a pile is stressed by a horizontal force or by a bending moment, producing a bending loaded pile. A static model of a pile and the surrounding subsoil was constructed using software based on FEM. The pile was modelled from 3D finite elements that were rotationally symmetric around the vertical axis of the pile. Additionally, the flexible half-space was modelled from 3D elements that were rotationally symmetrical around the piles. The boundary conditions were applied on the surfaces around the perimeter and at the bottom of the ground massif. The flexible half-space was modelled up to the area where there was zero deformation. The presented analysis focused on the description of different types of contact elements between the surface of the reinforced concrete pile and the surrounding ground mass. This interaction was modelled as a fixed connection or as point-to-point contact, and a contact surface. In the next part, different boundary conditions on the pile bottom were considered. Floating piles, supported by joints or firmly woven into the ground massif, were considered. All these outputs based on FEM were compared with the analytical solution of the bent pile that was published in the 1980s. The deformations and internal forces during different modelling of the contact between the edge of the concrete pile and the surrounding ground mass were compared. The higher values of the studied quantities were for rigid connections, which is logical. For contact elements, the property of the contact was considered. This property introduces less stiffness, and thus, the resulting values were lower compared to those for a fixed connection. The presented analysis of the FEM analytical and numerical solution is also very valuable for engineers working in construction

Male Reproductive Cancers and Infertility: A Mutual Relationship

Reproductive dysfunction and malignancies related to the male gender represent a serious health concern, whose incidence has significantly risen over the past years. Prior to treatment, testicular or prostate cancer patients often display poor semen characteristics similar to subfertile or infertile patients. This fact is underscored by cases where the malignancy is often diagnosed in males who undergo a general fertility screening. This review aims to examine the associations between male infertility and reproductive cancers focusing on common etiologies and biological mechanisms underlining these pathologies. Furthermore, we discuss compelling epidemiological data hypothesizing that male reproductive failure may act as a precursor of future andrological malignancies, including testicular or prostate cancer, thus providing a stimulus for a more specific research in male reproductive health and emphasizing the importance of this relation for physicians taking care of male patients with a reproductive disease

Composite laminate under influence of temperature and moisture

The static response of simply supported carbon/epoxy composite plates in a hygrothermal environment is carried out using the general purpose finite element program COSMOS. The static load model and the hygrothermal incorporation are solved separately. The hygrothermal effect is introduced by using empirical relations for degrading the material stiffness properties of the matrix. The corresponding ply properties are calculated using Mori-Tanaka method. A parametric study is conducted by varying the fiber volume fraction and the fiber orientation of the angle plies in the laminate

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils against staphylococcus spp. Isolated from human semen

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Staphylococcus spp. is not only a commensal bacteria but also a major human pathogen that causes a wide range of clinical infections. Recent evidence suggests that Staphylococcus has the ability to colonize the reproductive system and to affect its structure and functions. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical properties and antibacterial effects of select essential oils (EOs): Amyris balsamifera L., Boswellia carterii Birdw., Canarium luzonicum (Blume) A. Gray, Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl., Cinnamomum camphora var. linaloolifera Y. Fuita, Citrus x aurantium L., Gaultheria procumbens L., Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., Melaleuca ericifolia Smith., Melaleuca leucadendra L., Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth., Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck, Santalum album L., and Vetiveria zizanoides (L.) Roberty against 50 Staphylococcus spp. cultures isolated from human semen, specifically Staphylococcus aureus, S. capiti, S. epidermidis, S. haemoliticus, and S. hominis. The disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods were used to assess the antimicrobial potential and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the selected EOs. The best anti-Staphylococcus activities were found with both methods for the essential oils of C. luzonicum (Blume) A. Gray, A. balsamifera, C. camphora, and P. cabli