Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by insulin resistance; inflammation; oxidative stress; vascular damage; and dysfunction of glucose, protein, and lipid ...metabolisms. However, comparatively less attention has been paid to neurologic alterations seen in elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes. We review clinical, metabolic, and biochemical aspects of diabetic encephalopathy (DE) and propose that quality of dietary lipids is closely linked to DE. This implies that preventive nutritional interventions may be designed to improve DE.
Chronic toxic effects of arsenic resulting from drinking water are a human health problem, especially in South-America and Asia. Arsenic is capable of influencing various cellular processes, causing ...adverse effects, including cancer. Although the exact mechanism of the action is not known, a correlation between oxidative stress, tumour promotion and arsenic exposure has been observed. We examined the effects of silymarin and quercetin, in counteracting oxidative stress produced by acute or sub-chronic sodium arsenite exposure. The stress responses to arsenite included an increase in the heat shock protein 70
kDa expression, lipid peroxidation assayed by conjugated dienes measure, and γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase activity. We found that all these stress responses were eliminated by silymarin and quercetin in acute experiments. Both flavonoids diminished the conjugated dienes formation during sub-chronic cultures. Our results suggest that these antioxidant flavonoids, which may be easily incorporated into the diet, may afford a protective effect against arsenite-induced cytotoxicity.
Abstract Objective To determine the role of the habitual use of the most common artificial sweeteners (AS) in the development of urinary tract tumors (UTT) in Argentina. Methods Case-control study of ...197 patients with histologically confirmed UTT of transitional varieties, and 397 controls with acute, non-neoplastic, and non-urinary tract diseases, admitted to the same hospitals in Córdoba (Argentina) between 1999 and 2006. All subjects were interviewed about their use of AS and their exposure to other known or suspected risk factors for UTT. Results Fifty-one UTT patients (26%) and 87 controls (22%) used AS. The risk of UTT was significantly increased in long-term (≥ 10 years) AS users compared with none-AS users. The OR (95% CI) for long-term consumers was 2.18 (1.22–3.89) and for short-term users was 1.10 (0.61–2.00) after adjustment for age, gender, BMI, social status. and years of tobacco use. Conclusion Regular use of AS for 10 years or more was positively associated with UTT.
A large prototype of 1.3m3 was designed and built as a demonstrator of the semi-digital hadronic calorimeter (SDHCAL) concept proposed for the future ILC experiments. The prototype is a sampling ...hadronic calorimeter of 48 units. Each unit is built of an active layer made of 1m2 Glass Resistive Plate Chamber(GRPC) detector placed inside a cassette whose walls are made of stainless steel. The cassette contains also the electronics used to read out the GRPC detector. The lateral granularity of the active layer is provided by the electronics pick-up pads of 1cm2 each. The cassettes are inserted into a self-supporting mechanical structure built also of stainless steel plates which, with the cassettes walls, play the role of the absorber. The prototype was designed to be very compact and important efforts were made to minimize the number of services cables to optimize the efficiency of the Particle Flow Algorithm techniques to be used in the future ILC experiments. The different components of the SDHCAL prototype were studied individually and strict criteria were applied for the final selection of these components. Basic calibration procedures were performed after the prototype assembling. The prototype is the first of a series of new-generation detectors equipped with a power-pulsing mode intended to reduce the power consumption of this highly granular detector. A dedicated acquisition system was developed to deal with the output of more than 440000 electronics channels in both trigger and triggerless modes. After its completion in 2011, the prototype was commissioned using cosmic rays and particles beams at CERN.
Abstract We investigated the effects of certain dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and related eicosanoids on the growth and metastasis formation of a murine mammary gland adenocarcinoma. ...Salvia hispanica (ChO) and Carthamus tinctorius (SaO) vegetable oil sources of ω -3 and -6 PUFAs and a commercial diet as control (CO), were used. We analysed fatty acids of neoplastic cells (NC) membranes by GLC; the eicosanoids 12- HETE and 12-HHT (LOX and COX metabolites) by HPLC and apoptosis and T -lymphocyte infiltration by flow cytometry and microscopy. NC from ChO groups showed lower levels of arachidonic acid and of both eicosanoids compared to SaO and CO ( p <0.05). The ChO diet decreased the tumor weight and metastasis number ( p <0.05). Apoptosis and T -lymphocyte infiltration were higher and mitosis decreased with respect to the other diets ( p <0.05). Present data showed that ChO, an ancient and almost unknown source of ω -3, inhibits growth and metastasis in this tumor model.
The modulatory effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on urinary tract tumorigenesis of 275 Wistar rats were evaluated by treating animals with the tumorigenic agent melamine. Rats were fed ...with formulae containing 6% of 4 varieties of fats: fish oil enriched in n-3 PUFA (FO), corn oil enriched in n-6 (CO), olein containing mainly n-9 oleic acid (O), and 98% stearic acid (SA), the latter two being essential (EFA)-deficient inducers. Two commercially fed control groups with (CM) and without (C) melamine were used. Animals were autopsied at 22–25 and at 36–40weeks. Hepatic fatty acids showed that O and SA groups were EFA-deficient. Simple well differentiated hyperplasias were significantly higher in the FO lot, whereas dysplasia was increased in the CO, O and SA lots. Most of the animals fed for 36–40weeks with the three latter formulae developed the more severe lesions. Increased urothelial proliferation was more frequent in EFA-deficient rats. The apoptosis/mitosis ratio was higher in O, SA and CO fed animals with respect to FO and chow ones. Results show that dietary PUFA modulate differentially both normal and pre-neoplastic urothelial proliferation induced by melamine. FO, rich in n-3 fatty acids, showed a strong protective effect.
In hilly landforms subject to long-term cultivation, erosion has denuded upper slope positions of topsoil and accumulated topsoil in lower slope positions. One approach to remediate these eroded ...landforms is moving soil from areas of topsoil accumulation to areas of topsoil depletion, termed here soil-landscape rehabilitation. These experiments were conducted in an eroded undulating landform typical of the prairie pothole region. The summit, shoulder, upper and lower backslope were depleted in soil nutrients and organic carbon and had enriched inorganic carbon contents through the incorporation of calcareous subsoil material into the tilled layer. Surface soil organic carbon contents in lower slope positions were at least twice that in the most eroded positions. Six replicate plots were established that extended from the summit to the toeslope of the test area. Soil-landscape rehabilitation was performed on three plots by moving 15–20
cm of soil from the lower slope (footslope and toeslope) to the upper slope (summit, shoulder, and upper backslope) positions. The three remaining plots were undisturbed. In lower slope positions, soil properties were shifted upwards with respect to the soil surface by 15–20
cm in rehabilitated plots (where soil was removed). In upper slope positions, soil properties were shifted downwards by 15–20
cm in rehabilitated plots (where soil was applied, original soil was buried). After rehabilitation, the top 15
cm of soil in rehabilitated plots had characteristics similar to the footslope and toeslope, from which the soil was taken. Thus, soil properties were much more uniform from summit to toeslope in rehabilitated plots compared to undisturbed plots. Productivity was measured in two cropping years characterized by summer drought conditions. In rehabilitated plots, yields were relatively consistent across landscape positions, whereas in undisturbed plots, yields were depressed in eroded landscape positions. Grain yields in rehabilitated plots were increased by 30% in areas of soil addition. These yield increases were accompanied by yield decreases of 50% (year 1) and 20% (year 2) in areas of soil removal. Results indicate that movement of accumulated topsoil from lower slope positions to eroded upper slope positions can result in large yield increases in upper slope positions and more consistency in crop yields across the landscape, but additional research is needed to provide a more complete analysis of the soil productivity impacts of this approach.
Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) are a group of octadecadienoic acids (18:2) that are naturally present in food products and may have beneficial health effects. Liposomes and ethanol solutions were ...prepared by mixing synthetic phosphatidylcholines (PCs) with c9,t11-CLA, t10,c12-CLA, and linoleic acid (LA) in the sn-2 position into natural PCs from soybean, egg yolk, rat brain, and rat heart at 5 mol %. The oxygen diffusion−concentration products were measured using electron spin resonance spin-label oximetry methods. Individual synthetic PCs, the phospholipid matrix, and the tested lipid systems all exhibited influence on oxygen diffusion−concentration products during lipid peroxidation. Incorporating 5 mol % PC(c9,t11-CLA) into soy and egg yolk PC increased oxygen consumption in liposome suspensions while it was decreased in rat heart and brain PCs. On the other hand, PC(t10,c12-CLA) increased oxygen consumption in mixtures with egg yolk and rat heart PC but decreased it in soybean and rat brain PC. By comparison, PC(LA) decreased oxygen consumption in every case. In ethanol solutions, all of the synthetic PCs suppressed the capacity to generate peroxide radicals in the order of LA > c9,t11-CLA > t10,c12-CLA. In addition, PCs containing individual CLA isomers and LA differed in their capacities to react with and quench DPPH radicals in both ethanol solution and liposome, suggesting differences between CLA isomers and LA in DPPH radical−fatty acid interactions. Incorporation of CLA isomers and LA into dimyristyl-PC reduced the phase transition temperature from 23.6 to 23.1 and 23.3 °C, respectively. The results of this study provide evidence that the behavior of CLA isomers differs in the microenvironment of membranes possibly due to structural differences that affect the permeability of membranes to oxygen and lipid peroxidation. Keywords: Acid; CLA; ESR; free; linoleic; radicals
Soil erosion contributes to the removal and redistribution of soil organic C from cultivated fields. The soil organic C content of wind erodible and water unstable aggregates is an important factor ...in determining the amount of carbon loss occurring in erosion processes. The relative distribution of organic carbon among aggregate size fractions may also affect the response of soils to erosion. Soil organic C distribution is dependent on the chosen management system. The effects of no-till, till, and grassland management systems on organic C content of erodible and non-erodible aggregates were examined in six Ustolls and two Usterts of central South Dakota. Organic C contents were related to dry- and wet-sieving to represent the potential influence of wind and water erosion on C loss in the absence of vegetative cover. Loss of aggregate stability in cultivated soils was associated with organic C loss. Most structural characteristics developed under tilled systems persisted after 6–16 years of no-till. Changes in distribution of organic C due to management systems were most evident in Ustolls where cultivation resulted in net soil C losses. Soil organic C was not significantly increased by the no-tillage practices applied in this on-farm study (in Ustolls 49
Mg
ha
−1 in no-till versus 41
Mg
ha
−1 in till, for 0–0.20
m depth). Soil properties of Usterts were less affected by land use and management practices due to the high shrink swell action and self-mixing. In both soil orders the greater concentration of organic C in the wind erodible (<1
mm) dry aggregate size fraction implies a high potential for organic C loss by erosion in addition to organic C loss from mineralization after tillage. Grassland when compared to cultivated topsoil showed the largest amounts of organic carbon stored and the minimal potential for erosion loss of soil organic C.
Soil wettability is especially important for rainfed agriculture in climates with a dry period during the growing season. The effect of aggregate structure and soil organic C content on wettability ...of soil aggregates was determined for grassland (grass) and tilled fields (tillage). Soil organic C, plastic limit, aggregate total porosity, and wettability at 100
mm (rapid wetting) and 300
mm (slow wetting) water tension were measured on soil at 0–0.2
m depth. Natural aggregates from tillage and grass were compared to soil pellets formed by remolding aggregates. At both tensions, wettability of grass aggregates was significantly greater than that of tillage aggregates (
P
≤
0.001). Pellets were significantly less wettable than natural aggregates at 300
mm tension and during the initial wetting at 100
mm tension, but became significantly more wettable with time at 100
mm tension. Cumulative water uptake during 60
min exceeded the initial total porosity of pellets and natural tillage aggregates, suggesting incipient failure (formation of microcracks) during fast wetting. Grass aggregates contained twice as much organic C as tillage aggregates (26
g
kg
−1 versus 13
g
kg
−1). Organic C was linearly and positively related to plastic limit, total porosity, and the wettability of natural aggregates at 300
mm tension. At 100
mm tension, organic C was negatively related to wettability of natural aggregates under grass, but unrelated to wettability under tillage. Aggregate wettability was positively related to organic carbon content, except when the arrangement of soil constituents reduced or prevented incipient failure and soil dispersion during rapid wetting resulted in cumulative water uptake (60
min) similar to initial aggregate total porosity. Organic C increased wettability of grass aggregates when compared to tillage aggregates and also stabilized natural aggregates during fast wetting (100
mm tension). Both soil organic C content and aggregate structure were key factors controlling aggregate stability and wettability.
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