In this study, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in honey bee larvae, pupae and the midguts of adult bees were investigated during a one-year exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields ...(RF-EMFs) at a frequency of 900 MHz under field conditions. The experiment was carried out on honey bee colonies at three locations with electric field levels of 30 mV m
, 70 mV m
and 1000 mV m
. Antioxidant enzymes, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as indicators of lipid peroxidation were measured spectrophotometrically. The GST activity within the same developmental stage showed no significant differences regardless of electric field level or sampling time. The highest GST activity was found in the pupae, followed by activity in the larvae and midguts. Both CAT activity and TBARS concentration were the highest in the midguts, regardless of field level and sampling time. The larvae showed a significantly higher TBARS concentration at the location with an electric field level of 1000 mV m
compared to the locations with lower levels. Our results show that RF-EMFs at a frequency of 900 MHz can cause oxidative stress in honey bees, with the larval stage being more sensitive than the pupal stage, but there was no linear relationship between electric field level and effect in any of the developmental stages.
Anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from wireless technologies has increased dramatically. The boar semen used for artificial insemination is essential in sustaining the ...pig industry, and additionally it is also exposed to the effects of the RF-EMR of wireless technologies. Furthermore, there are no data on the effects of RF-EMR on semen quality, and this is the first analysis of sperm's morphometric parameters for assessing the effect of RF-EMR on the spermatozoa subpopulations of boars. This study investigated the effect of RF-EMR on in vitro exposed breeding boar semen spermatozoa motility and the proportions of spermatozoa subpopulations according to their morphometric head and tail parameters. The semen samples of 12 boars were divided into control and experimental groups. The samples in the experimental group were exposed in a gigahertz transverse electromagnetic chamber at a frequency of 2500 MHz (the frequency band used in 5G technology) and an electric field strength of 10 Vm
for two hours. After exposure, the spermatozoa motility was evaluated for both groups. A morphometric analysis of the semen smears was performed using SFORM software (Version 1.0; VAMS, Zagreb, Croatia). The progressive spermatozoa motility was significantly reduced in the experimental group (74.7% vs. 85.7%). PC analysis and cluster analysis revealed two spermatozoa subpopulations: S1, spermatozoa with a more regular head shape and a smaller midpiece outline, and S2, spermatozoa with a more elongated head shape and a larger midpiece outline. The experimental semen samples had a greater proportion of the S1 spermatozoa subpopulation (68.2% vs. 64.4%). The effect of RF-EMR at 2500 MHz on the in vitro exposed boar semen resulted in decreased progressive spermatozoa motility and a lower proportion of the spermatozoa subpopulation with a higher fertilizing potential.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs two to three times more often in women than in men and it has been less studied in men. The results of gender influence on clinical course of the disease are ...contradictory. The aim of this study is to determine the difference in handgrip strength between female and male RA patients in comparison to healthy individuals. The study included 100 RA patients and 100 healthy individuals (50% were male in both groups). Handgrip strength was measured in both hands using a dynamometer. A two-way ANCOVA was used to analyse the data and age was included in the study as covariate. The results show that both male and female RA patients have lower handgrip strength compared to healthy individuals. The analysis of gender and disease interaction has shown that male RA patients have lower handgrip strength than female RA patients in comparison with the healthy group, age adjusted. This interaction is evident and statistically significant in both right hand (
F
1, 195) = 14.62;
p
< 0.01) and left hand (
F
1, 195) = 20.54;
p
< 0.01). The common-language effect size has shown that there is 92% (right hand) and 93% (left hand) chance that male individual will have stronger handgrip than his female counterpart. In RA patients, there is 77% chance for both hands that male will have stronger handgrip. Men and women with RA have significantly lower handgrip strength compared to healthy individuals and the difference is more pronounced in men which was not previously observed in the literature.
Calcific shoulder tendinitis (CST) is characterized by hydroxyapatite crystals deposition in the rotator cuff tendons. Therapeutic exercises have been the mainstay of CST treatment, and evidence for ...therapeutic ultrasound (T-US) utilization and efficacy is lacking.
This study aimed to determine whether 4500 J T-US combined with therapeutic exercises is superior to therapeutic exercises alone regarding calcification size reduction and symptom improvement in chronic symptomatic CST.
This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
This study was conducted at a University Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation of a University Hospital.
Patients with chronic CST were analyzed.
After eligibility allocation, 46 patients with sonographically confirmed CST were divided into two groups (56 shoulders, 26 per group). Both groups performed the same therapeutic exercises for half an hour under physiotherapist supervision. In the treatment group T-US (4500 J, 10 minutes per session at a frequency of 1 MHz and an intensity of 1.5 W/cm
), and in the placebo group, sham T-US was applied for 4 weeks. Patients were assessed for: calcification size, shoulder pain, global health (GH), shoulder mobility (ROM), handgrip strength, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and overall rehabilitation satisfaction.
All assessed variables improved in both groups. A significantly greater reduction in calcification size was recorded in the treatment group compared to placebo: -10.92% (IQR 4.61% to 19.38%) versus -5.04% (2.30% to 7.22%), P=0.008. There was a significantly greater decrease in HAQ-DI, reduction of VAS GH, and an increase in hand grip strength in the treatment group, while no significant differences were observed for other parameters between the groups.
Our results showed that adding the 4500 J T-US to therapeutic exercises in chronic symptomatic CST therapy resulted in greater calcification size reduction immediately following the treatment, as well as hand grip strength, HAQ-DI, and VAS GH improvement.
4500 J T-US combined with therapeutic exercises is more effective in reducing calcification size than therapeutic exercises alone in the treatment of chronic symptomatic CST.
BACKGROUND: After a stroke, patients experience sensorimotor damage, balance disorders, loss of selective movement, hypotonia and/or hypertonia, and hypersensitivity, all of which affect gait. ...OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to establish the effectiveness of Bobath therapy with additional specific soft tissue mobilizations versus standard Bobath intervention. METHODS: Subjects were randomly divided into two groups (S1 and S2) of 20 people each. Both groups underwent the same intervention (Bobath concept) over a 5-week period, while the second study group (S2) also received additional, specific soft tissue mobilization. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), Active Range of Motion (AROM) of dorsiflexion and knee flexion and extension were used as clinical variables to assess the efficacy of therapy modalities. Data was analysed using a mixed model ANOVA. RESULTS: A significant interaction of group and time was found. The experimental (S2) group had a larger improvement of balance and AROM than the control (S1) group. There was no clear advantage of one group over the other for TUGT. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that a combination of Bobath treatment and additional specific soft tissue mobilizations are more effective in increasing AROM and balance and mobility.
Sex-related differences in physiological processes, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of disease have great importance in human medicine, and these differences should also be investigated and ...implemented in studies on animals. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the effects of sex and castration on the serum biochemical profile of commercial pigs. The study was conducted on clinically healthy, sexually mature fattening pigs of the Swedish Landrace breed, divided into four groups: intact males (n = 6), intact females (n = 5), castrated males (n = 6) and castrated females (n = 7). Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein using blood test tubes without an anticoagulant. After centrifugation, the serum was separated, and the values of the following parameters were determined by spectrophotometry: the activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and y-glutamyl transferase, and the concentrations of total proteins, albumins, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, glucose, urea, bilirubin and creatinine. The study results showed significantly lower (P<0.05) serum glucose concentrations in castrated males as compared to intact males. However, castrated males had significantly higher (P<0.05) urea concentration than intact ones. There were no significant between-group differences in the values of the other parameters investigated, however, certain patterns of occurrence were observed. Accordingly, further studies are required in order to define more accurately the effects of sex and castration on the values of biochemical parameters in the blood serum of pigs. Key words : biochemical parameters; blood serum; castration; pigs; sex
Elektromagnetsko se zračenje emitira iz prirodnog okruženja, ali i uporabom industrijskih i svakodnevnih uređaja za bežičnu komunikaciju, stoga su ljudski i životinjski organizmi stalno izloženi ...zračenju. Tijekom posljednjih godina, zbog brzog tehnološkog napretka, elektromagnetsko zračenje iz umjetnih izvora premašilo je vrijednosti zračenja prirodnog podrijetla. Opća zabrinutost svih nas, zbog sve
većeg broja uređaja (mobilnih telefona, prijenosnih računala, Wi-Fi-ja i mikrovalnih pećnica), koji koriste radiofrekvencijsko elektromagnetsko zračenje (RF-EMZ) opravdana je zbog sve brojnijih dokaza o njihovoj štetnosti na žive organizme. Suvremeni uređaji moderne tehnologije emitiraju radiofrekvencijske elektromagnetske valove malih frekvencija koje ljudsko i životinjsko tijelo apsorbira što može imati potencijalne štetne učinke na: mozak, srce, endokrini sustav i reproduktivnu funkciju. Muški je reproduktivni sustav jedno od najosjetljivijih tkiva na RF-EMZ-e. Tako je primjerice, iz trenutno dostupnih studija provedenih in vitro i in vivo, jasno da RF-EMZ-e ima štetne učinke na spermatogenezu, odnosno kakvoću ejakulata ljudi i životinja – broj spermija u ejakulatu, preživljavanje, morfologiju i gibljivost spermija - utječe na stanični metabolizam i endokrini sustav i može prouzročiti genotoksičnost, genomsku nestabilnost i oksidativni stres, a to može prouzročiti neplodnost. Štetni učinci RFEMZ-a dijele se na toplinske i netoplinske. Većinanegativnih bioloških učinaka pripisuje se netoplinskim učincima, a toplinski se učinci nastali RF-EMZ mobilnog telefona, smatraju manje štetnima. Zbog stvaranja prevelike količine reaktivnih kisikovih spojeva u muškom spolnom sustavu hipertermija skrotuma i povećani oksidativni stres mogu biti ključni mehanizmi putem kojih RF-EMZ-e utječe na plodnost muškaraca. Navedeni su i negativni učinci povezani s vremenom korištenja, ponajprije mobilnog telefona. Stoga je cilj ovoga preglednog rada opisati neke od učinaka RF-EMZ-a na muški spolni sustav.
After a stroke, patients experience sensorimotor damage, balance disorders, loss of selective movement, hypotonia and/or hypertonia, and hypersensitivity, all of which affect gait.
The aim of the ...study was to establish the effectiveness of Bobath therapy with additional specific soft tissue mobilizations versus standard Bobath intervention.
Subjects were randomly divided into two groups (S1 and S2) of 20 people each. Both groups underwent the same intervention (Bobath concept) over a 5-week period, while the second study group (S2) also received additional, specific soft tissue mobilization. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), Active Range of Motion (AROM) of dorsiflexion and knee flexion and extension were used as clinical variables to assess the efficacy of therapy modalities. Data was analysed using a mixed model ANOVA.
A significant interaction of group and time was found. The experimental (S2) group had a larger improvement of balance and AROM than the control (S1) group. There was no clear advantage of one group over the other for TUGT.
The findings demonstrate that a combination of Bobath treatment and additional specific soft tissue mobilizations are more effective in increasing AROM and balance and mobility.
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