INFLUENCE OF CANCER SEVERITY AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS OF CANCER ON CARDIAC PARASYMPATHETIC INDICATORS

 Objective: To investigate the influence of cancer severity and functional status of cancer patients on cardiac parasympathetic indicators. Methods: A total of 267 patients with a fresh clinical diagnosis of solid malignant tumor not yet put on cancer therapy and 250 controls matched for age, sex of study subjects were included. Severity of cancer was defined based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging. Accordingly, study subjects were subdivided into early stage (Stage I and II combined) and advanced stage (Stage III and IV combined). In cancer patients, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score and the Faces Pain Scale score (FPS) was noted. Two indicators of vagal function, expiratory:inspiratory ratio (E:I ratio) and root mean square of successive N-N interval difference (r-MSSD) were included. E:I ratio during deep breathing at six respiratory cycles/minute and r-MSSD at rest was obtained from 1 minute lead II electrocardiogram. Data were analyzed by applying suitable statistical tests. p≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: R-MSSD and E:I ratio was significantly reduced in the early and advanced stage of cancer compared to controls (p≤0.0001). r-MSSD and E:I ratio was significantly reduced in advanced stage compared to the early stage of cancer (p≤0.0001). r-MSSD and E:I ratio was significantly different in subgroups of stages of cancer and controls (p≤0.0001). In cancer patients, r-MSSD was negatively correlated with ECOG and FPS score (p≤0.0278, p≤0.0100). Conclusion: Severity of cancer affects vagal function. However, r-MSSD alone was associated with functional status (ECOG, FPS) of cancer patients

Illuminating hydrological processes at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface with water stable isotopes

Funded by DFG research project “From Catchments as Organised Systems to Models based on Functional Units” (FOR 1Peer reviewedPublisher PDFPublisher PD

Toksični učinci olova u profesionalno izložene indijske obitelji

This article describes an entire family manufacturing lead acid batteries who all suffered from lead poisoning. The family of five lived in a house, part of which had been used for various stages of battery production for 14 years. Open space was used for drying batteries. They all drank water from a well located on the premises. Evaluation of biomarkers of lead exposure and/or effect revealed alarming blood lead levels [(3.92±0.94) µmol L-1], 50 % reduction in the activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase [(24.67±5.12) U L-1] and an increase in zinc protoporphyrin [(1228±480) µg L-1]. Liver function tests showed an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase [(170.41±41.82) U L-1]. All other liver function test parameters were normal. Renal function tests showed an increase in serum uric acid [(515.81±86.29) µmol L-1] while urea and creatinine were normal. Serum calcium was low [(1.90±0.42) mmol L-1 in women and (2.09±0.12) mmol L-1 in men], while blood pressure was high in the head of the family and his wife and normal in children. Lead concentration in well water was estimated to 180 µg L-1. The family was referred to the National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning in India, were they were received treatment and were informed about the hazards of lead poisoning. A follow up three months later showed a slight decrease in blood lead levels and a significant increase in haemoglobin. These findings can be attributed to behavioural changes adopted by the family, even though they continued producing lead batteries.Olovo je sveprisutni metal s mnogo namjena, a čovječanstvo ga rabi već više od 6000 godina. Danas je olovo među najrasprostranjenijim toksinima u okolišu, a drugi je na popisu toksičnih metala, odmah iza arsena. Mnogi još nisu svjesni njegova toksičnoga djelovanja te se i dalje izlažu olovu. Ovdje je opisana obitelj koja proizvodi olovne akumulatore i koja je pretrpjela trovanje olovom zahvaljujući svojoj neobaviještenosti. Ova peteročlana obitelj živjela je u jednome kućanstvu čiji je dio namijenjen različitim fazama proizvodnje akumulatora već 14 godina. Akumulatori su se sušili na otvorenome. Na imanju je bio i bunar s pitkom vodom. Mjerenja biopokazatelja izloženosti olovu i njegova djelovanja u svih pet članova obitelji dovela su do alarmantnoga saznanja o razinama olova u krvi [(3,92±0,94) µmol L-1], 50 %-tnom padu aktivnosti dehidrataze δ-aminolevulinske kiseline [(24,67±5,12) U L-1] te povišenom cinkovu protoporfirinu [(1228±480) µg L-1]. Jetrene probe otkrile su povišene razine alkalne fosfataze u serumu [(170,41±41,82) U L-1]. Ostali su parametri jetrene funkcije bili normalni. Testovi funkcije bubrega otkrili su povišene razine mokraćne kiseline u serumu [(515,81±86,29) µmol L-1], dok su razine ureje i kreatinina bile normalne. Također je zabilježen pad razina kalcija u serumu [(1,90±0,42) mmol L-1 u žena te (2,09±0,12) mmol L-1 u muškaraca]. Povišeni krvni tlak zamijećen je u glave obitelji i njegove supruge, dok je u djece bio normalan. Koncentracija olova u bunarskoj vodi bila je izrazito visoka, prema procjeni 180 µg L-1. Obitelj je upućena u indijski Državni referalni centar za otrovanje olovom (National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning) gdje je primila lijekove i bila upoznata s činjenicama vezanim uz otrovanje olovom. Tromjesečno je praćenje pokazalo blagi pad razina olova u krvi te značajan porast hemoglobina. Ovi se nalazi mogu pripisati promjenama u ponašanju obitelji, bez obzira na to što je nastavila proizvoditi akumulatore

Ecohydrology of street trees: design and irrigation requirements for sustainable water use

Whereas the beneficial effects of urban vegetation have long been recognized, growing conditions in urban environments, especially for street trees, are typically harsh and limited by low water availability. Supplemental irrigation may be used to preserve aesthetic quality and ability to provide ecosystem services of urban vegetation but requires careful management of available economic and water resources to reduce urban water footprint. To this purpose, decision makers need quantitative tools, requiring few, physically based parameters and accounting for the uncertainties and future scenarios of the hydroclimatic forcing. Focusing on in-row and isolated trees, a minimalist description of street tree water balance is proposed here, including rainfed and irrigated conditions, and explicitly accounting for tree water requirements, growing conditions (in terms of soil properties and extension of bare soil, permeable and impervious pavements surrounding the tree) and rainfall unpredictability. The proposed model allows the quantification of tree cooling capacity, water stress occurrence and irrigation requirements, as a function of soil, plant and climate characteristics, thus providing indications regarding the tree ability to provide ecosystem services and management costs. In particular, an analysis of different planting designs suggests that a balanced design consisting in bare soil and permeable pavement with size equal to the lateral canopy extension is optimal for water conservation, tree cooling capacity and health. The proposed model provides useful indications towards the definition of site-specific guidelines for species selection and planting design, for sustainable urban vegetatio

The domestic garden: its contribution to urban green infrastructure

Domestic gardens provide a significant component of urban green infrastructure but their relative contribution to eco-system service provision remains largely un-quantified. ‘Green infrastructure’ itself is often ill-defined, posing problems for planners to ascertain what types of green infrastructure provide greatest benefit and under what circumstances. Within this context the relative merits of gardens are unclear; however, at a time of greater urbanization where private gardens are increasingly seen as a ‘luxury’, it is important to define their role precisely. Hence, the nature of this review is to interpret existing information pertaining to gardens /gardening per se, identify where they may have a unique role to play and to highlight where further research is warranted. The review suggests that there are significant differences in both form and management of domestic gardens which radically influence the benefits. Nevertheless, gardens can play a strong role in improving the environmental impact of the domestic curtilage, e.g. by insulating houses against temperature extremes they can reduce domestic energy use. Gardens also improve localized air cooling, help mitigate flooding and provide a haven for wildlife. Less favourable aspects include contributions of gardens and gardening to greenhouse gas emissions, misuse of fertilizers and pesticides, and introduction of alien plant species. Due to the close proximity to the home and hence accessibility for many, possibly the greatest benefit of the domestic garden is on human health and well-being, but further work is required to define this clearly within the wider context of green infrastructure