Over the past century, agriculture practices have transitioned from manual cultivation to the use of an array of chemical herbicides for weed control including phosphinothricin, or glufosinate ...(GLUF). Consequently, the potential for long-term residual GLUF exposure in the food chain has increased, highlighting the need for improved analytical strategies for its detection, as well as the detection of its main breakdown product 3-(methylphosphinico)propionic acid (MPPA). Chemical derivatization strategies have been developed to improve the detection of GLUF and MPPA via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses. Herein, we employ trimethylation enhancement using diazomethane (TrEnDi) for the first time as a means to confer analytical advantages via quantitatively derivatizing these analytes into permethylated GLUF (GLUFTr+) and MPPA (MPPATr+H+). Comparing GLUFTr+ and MPPATr+H+ to underivatized counterparts, TrEnDi yields 2.8-fold and 1.7-fold improvements in reversed-phase chromatographic retention, respectively, while MS-based sensitivity is enhanced 4.1-fold and 11.0-fold, respectively. Successful analyte derivatization (with >99% yields) was further demonstrated on a commercial herbicide solution imparting consistent analytical enhancements. To investigate the benefits of TrEnDi in a bona fide agricultural scenario, simple aqueous extractions from distinct parts of field-grown canola plants were performed to quantify GLUF and MPPA before and after TrEnDi derivatization. In their underivatized forms, GLUF and MPPA were undetectable in all field samples, whereas GLUFTr+ and MPPATr+H+ were readily quantifiable using the same analysis conditions. Our results demonstrate that TrEnDi continues to be a useful tool to enhance the analytical characteristics of organic molecules that are traditionally difficult to detect.
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Shotgun lipidomics provides sensitive and fast lipid identification without the need for chromatographic separation. Challenges faced by shotgun analysis of glycerophospholipids (GPs) include the ...lack of signal uniformity across GP classes and the inability to determine the carbon–carbon double bond (CC) location within the fatty acyl chains of an unsaturated species. Two distinct derivatization strategies were employed to both enhance the ionization of GPs, via trimethylation enhancement using 13C-diazomethane (13C-TrEnDi), as well as determine location of double bonds within fatty acyl chains, employing an in-solution photochemical reaction with acetone (via the Paternò–Büchi reaction). The modified GPs were then subjected to positive ion mode ionization via electrospray ionization, producing uniform ionization efficiencies for different classes of GP species. The GPs were charge inverted via gas-phase ion/ion reactions and sequentially fragmented using ion trap collision-induced dissociation (CID). The CID of the species led to fragmentation producing diagnostic ions indicative of CC bond location. The approach enabled enhanced ionization and the identification of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine species at the CC level in a bovine lipid extract.
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Populacijsko preživetje bolnikov z rakom je sestavljen kazalnik, v katerem se zrcalijo tako značilnosti bolnikov kot tudi organizacija, dostopnost, kakovost in učinkovitost sistema zdravstvenega ...varstva. Register raka Republike Slovenije je letos izdal že četrto obsežnejše poročilo o preživetju slovenskih bolnikov z rakom zbolelih med letom 1997 in 2016, ki kaže na napredek, ki sta ga v dvajsetih letih zagotovila slovenska onkologija in slovensko zdravstveno varstvo skupaj s celotno družbo. Preživetje slovenskih bolnikov z rakom se s časom povečuje. V zadnjih dvajsetih letih se je petletno čisto preživetje povečalo za dobrih 11 odstotnih točk. Znatno bolj se je povečalo preživetje pri moških. Starost in stadij ob diagnozi sta še vedno ključna za preživetje bolnikov z rakom. Pri obeh spolih se je preživetje bolnikov s kožnim melanomom, rakom debelega črevesa in danke ter pljučnim rakom v zadnjih dvajsetih letih značilno izboljšalo. Napredek je bil dosežen tudi pri najpogostejših rakih pri posameznem spolu: raku dojk pri ženskah in raku prostate pri moških. Izboljšanje preživetja slovenskih bolnikov z rakom, ki ga opazujemo v zadnjih letih, predstavlja osnovo in spodbudo za nadaljnje izboljšave.
Od prve koronarne angioplastike leta 1977 preko femoralnega pristopa je intervencijska kardiologija drastično spremenila zdravljenje ishemične bolezni srca. Prvotna perkutana transluminalna ...angioplastika z uporabo navadnih balonskih katetrov je sčasoma postala le pomožna tehnika za pripravo žilne spremembe in optimiziranje vstavljene žilne opornice. S pojavom navadnih žilnih opornic smo izboljšali rezultate na račun zmanjšanega elastičnega odsunka, poškodbe in konstriktivnega remodeliranja koronarnih arterij, z razvojem antiagregacijske terapije pa dosegli manjše število tromboz v žilnih opornicah. Ob nadaljnjih raziskavah neointimalne hiperplazije so se pojavile metode za lokalno apliciranje antiproliferacijskih zdravil. Razvile so se z zdravili prevlečene opornice, ki so leta 2019 postale novi zlati standard. Ob uporabi modernejših materialov so poskrbele za izboljšanje rezultatov na račun zmanjšanja neointimalne hiperplazije in števila zapletov. A kljub temu so še vedno tujek v žilni steni, ki spodbuja kronično vnetje, neoaterosklerozo, s tem pa restenozo ter zelo pozne pojave tromboze. To spoznanje zadnja leta vodi v razvijanje tehnik, ki bi za sabo pustile čim manj tujega materiala oziroma bi bil le-ta čimbolj biološko kompatibilen. Ob razvoju razgradljivih žilnih opornic so ena obetajočih terapevtskih možnosti z zdravili prevlečeni balonski katetri, ki razširijo žilno svetlino in lokalno aplicirajo antiproliferativno zdravilo na samo mesto spremembe brez uporabe opornice, ki bi ostala v žilni steni in spodbujala vnetje.
Avtor v članku preučuje pojav posameznikov slovenskih korenin iz ZDA in Kanade, ki so stik z etnično identiteto in s slovensko skupnostjo izgubili že zelo zgodaj oz. jim predniki slovenske identitete ...sploh niso predali, a so jo pozneje (ponovno) odkrili. Življenjske zgodbe posameznikov postavlja v kontekst globalnega trenda individualizacije, ki ga aplicira na omenjene mikro primere. Zanima ga, kaj jih je privedlo do iskanja korenin, kaj jim te pomenijo in kako se renesansa etnične identitete odraža v njihovih življenjih.
Changes in human growth and development depend on genetic and environmental factors. In the case of Slovenia, the environmental factors changed as a result of the period of socio-economic transition ...that the country underwent between 1991 and 2013. The authors used anthropometric techniques to evaluate differences in body height, proportions and sexual maturity in 1,221 adolescents aged 14 in 1993, 2003 and 2013.
Data was collected as a part of the ACDSi study, which has monitored children's somatic growth and motor development every decade over the last 40 years.
Between 1993 and 2013, a trend (p=0.08) towards increased body height was observed in males. The comparison of age at peak height velocity (PHV) between generations demonstrated a trend (p=0.07) of earlier entry into puberty in adolescents in 2013 compared to those in 1993. The leg-to-body height ratio increased (p<0.05) with every decade in males, while in females it decreased (p<0.05) in 2013. Similar trends were observed in the leg-to-trunk ratio. Contemporary generations experienced PHV at a younger age (p<0.05), which is true for both genders even in adolescents born no more than two decades (1993 (2013) apart. In both generations, females experienced PHV sooner than their male peers.
The authors assume that females of the 2013 generation reached puberty earlier than females of older generations. It is most likely that, unlike females from older generations and unlike males, they were already at the stage of trunk growth at the time of the measurements, which explains the observed changes in their trunk length, leg-to-body height and leg-to-trunk ratios in comparison to earlier generations.
The aim of this study was to determine quantities of antibiotics used mainly or exclusively for urinary tract infections in Croatia between 2005 and 2014, to describe utilisation trends, and general ...consequences of antibiotic consumption on antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotic utilisation data were obtained from annual reports of both the Croatian Drug Agency and Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences. Antibiotic consumption was expressed in DDD/1000 inhabitants/day (DDD TID). Antimicrobial resistance was analysed for E. coli, E. faecalis, E. faecium, P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp., P. mirabilis. Descriptive statistics were used to process data and calculate trends.
Overall, utilisation of antibacterials decreased by 4.8% (from 3,35 to 3,19 DDD TID), while trends of individual agents varied substantially - from 87% decline for ceftibuten to 160% rise for levofloxacin. The consumption of quinolones increased by 32.3%. This was mostly due to increased ciprofloxacin consumption (144% raise). Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim declined by 57%, while nitrofurantoin increased by 86%. The use of fosfomycin was marginal. Antimicrobial resistance of E. coli increased against quinolones by 54.5%, and against nitrofurantoin by 2-3%. Quinolone resistance of other pathogens (Klebiella spp, Proteus mirabilis), increased variably - between 17.2% (Klebsiella) and 90% (Proteus), while for P. aeruginosa remained the same at 22%.
High rates of antimicrobial utilisation require prescribing restrictions and educational interventions. The increased use of fluoroquinolones is a potentially serious public health threat due to the rapid development of resistance among uropathogens. This threat can be avoided by greater use of nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin.
An honest discussion of free trade and how nations can sensibly chart a path forward in today's global economy. Not so long ago the nation-state seemed to be on its deathbed, condemned to irrelevance ...by the forces of globalization and technology. Now it is back with a vengeance, propelled by a groundswell of populists around the world. In Straight Talk on Trade, Dani Rodrik, an early and outspoken critic of economic globalization taken too far, goes beyond the populist backlash and offers a more reasoned explanation for why our elites' and technocrats' obsession with hyper-globalization made it more difficult for nations to achieve legitimate economic and social objectives at home: economic prosperity, financial stability, and equity. Rodrik takes globalization's cheerleaders to task, not for emphasizing economics over other values, but for practicing bad economics and ignoring the discipline's own nuances that should have called for caution. He makes a case for a pluralist world economy where nation-states retain sufficient autonomy to fashion their own social contracts and develop economic strategies tailored to their needs. Rather than calling for closed borders or defending protectionists, Rodrik shows how we can restore a sensible balance between national and global governance. Ranging over the recent experiences of advanced countries, the eurozone, and developing nations, Rodrik charts a way forward with new ideas about how to reconcile today's inequitable economic and technological trends with liberal democracy and social inclusion. Deftly navigating the tensions among globalization, national sovereignty, and democracy, Straight Talk on Trade presents an indispensable commentary on today's world economy and its dilemmas, and offers a visionary framework at a critical time when we need it most.
Preučevali smo vpliv temperature zraka na izbrane fenološke faze čebel (Apis mellifera carnica Pollman) za obdobje 1971-2007 v Novem mestu. Medletna variabilnost nastopa fenofaz (prva paša čebel, ...paša na robiniji, paša na lipi) je velika, variacijski razmik znaša od 44 do 86 dni. S časovno analizo smo ugotovili, da se kot posledica višjih temperatur zraka ter zgodnejših rastlinskih fenofaz, tudi fenofaze pri čebelah pojavljajo v zadnjem obdobju zgodnejše. Statistično značilen linearen trend za prvo pašo čebel znaša -19 dni/dekado, za pašo na robiniji pa -10 dni/dekado. Fenofaza paša na lipi nima statistično značilnega trenda. Povezanost med fenološkim razvojem in temperaturo zraka smo preučevali s korelacijsko analizo. Vrednosti koeficientov korelacije so med -0,45 in -0,70. Vse tri fenofaze so najbolj korelirane s povprečnimi dvomesečnimi temperaturami marca in aprila. Izdelali smo enostavne regresijske modele za napoved časa nastopa fenofaz na osnovi temperature zraka. Kot pojasnjevalne spremenljivke modela smo vključili povprečne mesečne temperature zraka in termalni čas, potreben za nastop izbrane fenofaze. Akumuliran termalni čas smo izračunali kot vsoto aktivnih temperatur (vsota pozitivnih temperatur od 1.1. dalje) in efektivnih temperatur (temperaturna vsota nad temperaturnim pragom 10 °C od 28.2. dalje). Koeficienti variabilnosti (KV) za izračunan termalni čas znašajo od 15 % do 43 %. Z metodo regresije po korakih smo oblikovali linearne regresijske modele za napoved časa prve paše čebel in paše na robiniji. Z modeli smo lahko pojasnili od 53 % do 91 % variabilnosti v času nastopa fenofaz.
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