Search

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is comprised primarily of two related diseases - chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Clinical research on the effects of swimming on the quality of the life of patients with various lung diseases showed that the use of water therapy programs have significant effects on the induction of pulmonary edema as well as on mild to moderate asthma. The case study presented in this study, aged 52, male, from urban area, smoker (30PA), with a weight of 96 kg and a height of 168 cm, was diagnosed with COPD in GOLD III std about 2 years ago and abdominal obesity. The functional examinations have revealed a mixed ventilatory dysfunction with FEV of 48.6% and 68.3% CV. The therapy with tiotropium and beta 2 agonists initiated as needed, along with physical therapy. After the application of aquatic programs for 6 months the results have highlighted significant changes in the lung functionality and the quality of everyday life.

Pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas, which is divided into two types: acute pancreatitis, which can occur suddenly, and chronic pancreatitis, characterized by persistent inflammation of the pancreas. One of the most commonly cited causes of inflammation of the pancreas is inadequate nutrition in dogs and cats. Current research aims to clarify the need for species-differentiated nutritional management in both the prevention and treatment of pancreatic disorders. Medical studies that emphasize the dietary management of pancreatitis indicate the use of low residue and highly digestible diets in cats with pancreatic disorders, while in dogs low fat diets are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aims to analyze the implementation of food products certified under quality schemes across the European Union from 1996 to 2024. The information obtained from the study of "eAmbrosia" database were analysed, processed and synthesized. The data entered and processed in this study aimed the entire period for which records exist (1996-2024). The aims of the research being: to identify the frequency of PGI, PDO and TSG certification; to compare the use of quality schemes according to the EU countries; to compare the use of certifications according to product classes; to compare the use of quality schemes across the EU countries according to product classes. The analysis of the share of products registered with each of the three quality schemes reveals that the majority are PGI registered (52.88%), followed by PDO products (42.70%) and TSG registered products at just 4.41%. In conclusion, the work provide a series of recommendations aimed at improving the current situation at both the European and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overweight was identified and monitorized in a group of 23 cats that were included in a weight management programme at a veterinary clinic. The risk factors studied in the population of cats in relation with the body score (between 5.5-9 according to the body score scale provided by the WSAVA) were endogenous like breed, age, sex and neuter status of the cats. It was elaborated a specific questionnaire before the enrolment of cats in the weight management programme, asking the owners to complete about their cats' eating behaviour, the type of used feed and the amount of food intake, to establish the caloric intake that contributes to their body weight. The analysis of risk factors for feline obesity revealed exogenous causes that produce or enhance weight gain in cats, namely lack of room or limited space in which cats are kept, sedentary lifestyle and/or ad-libitum feeding offered by cat owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers may be exposed to mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) contamination via packaged foods, but data on the occurrence of MOH are currently available only for a limited number of foods. In this work, we have carried out an indicative research proposal on the contamination with MOH migrated into milk via food contact material (FCM). Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) were extracted by LC-GC-FID from three sample categories: food contact material (4 samples), milk in directly contact with FCM (4 samples) and milk with no contact with FCM (4 samples). Our results revealed an important contamination given by the contact materials, especially for the MOSH fraction, supported by a common contamination profile, confirmed in the analyzed milk samples. Quantitatively, the MOH contents were variable, with higher values in milk samples in direct contact with FCM, the increase in MOH concentrations being closely related to the important contamination values of FCM (105.4-116.6 mg/g MOSH; 4.3-4.9 mg/kg MOAH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Materials / Revista Romana de Materiale is the property of Foundation for Materials Science & Engineering Serban Solacolu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rationale: Obstructive jaundice can raise problems to diagnostic imaging. The radiologist must choose the most appropriate examination that delivers the most important diagnostic information because the differences between a lithiasic obstruction and a tumoral one are vital. This information helps the surgeon speed up the process of decision-making, because the treatment may be very different in relation to the nature of the obstruction. Objective: This study tries to demonstrate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in detecting the obstacle in the common bile duct (CBD) and the possibility of establishing the lithiasic nature of the obstruction. Methods and Results: A retrospective analysis was analyzed during an interval of 18 months that included jaundice patients admitted in the General Surgery Department of "Coltea" Clinical Hospital. They were examined by CT scanning and by MRCP, being suspected of choledocholithiasis. 63 patients were included in the study, 34 females and 29 males. 33 CT scans and 30 MRCP exams were performed. Discussion: CT scan is useful in detecting residual or iterative choledocholithiasis in patients after cholecystectomy, contrast enhanced CT (CECT), being able to differentiate between lithiasic and non-iithiasic obstruction. MRCP delivers important anatomic details of the biliary tree; it is superior to CT in diagnosing the hepatocholedochal lithiasis; MRCP tends to replace endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) - the diagnostic "gold standard" reducing the number of unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active protein and bioceramic calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) bilayers were grown by combining conventional pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) techniques. A pulsed UV KrF* excimer laser was used for the irradiations. The HA layers were grown by PLD. Proteins with antimicrobial action were attached to the bioceramic layers using MAPLE. The composite MAPLE targets were obtained by dissolving the proteins powder in distilled water. The crystalline status and chemical composition of the obtained structures were studied by X-ray diffractometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The layers were grown for the design of advanced future metal implants coatings, ensuring both enhanced bone formation and localized antimicrobial therapy. Our results demonstrated that protein coatings improve bone cell proliferation in vitro. Immunofluorescence experiments show that actin filaments stretch throughout bone cells and sustain their optimal spreading. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 101A: 2706-2711, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Oncolog-Hematolog is the property of MEDICHUB MEDIA, S.R.L. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We introduce a combinatorial approach for the fabrication of organic biopolymer thin films. Structures with compositional gradient are obtained by simultaneous laser vaporization of two distinct targets. Matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation deposition method was applied to obtain a compositional library of levan and oxidized levan in form of thin film. The gradient of film composition and structure was demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy while in vitro cell culture assays illustrated characteristic responses of cells to specific surface regions. The method can rapidly generate discrete areas of organic film compositions with improved properties than starting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid methacrylates based on silane derivates (ormosils) have been considered for applications in electronics, microtechnology, corrosion resistant coatings, dentistry, and biomedical implants. The presence of both inorganic chains, responsible for chemical and thermal stability, hardness, and transparency, and organic groups, which bring new advantages such as the possibility of functionalization and easy, low temperature processing, can result in the appearance of unique properties. 2D structures of hybrid polymers were produced by Two Photon Polymerization (2PP). A Ti: Sapphire laser having 200 fs pulse duration and 2 kHz repetition rate, working at a wavelength of 775 nm, was used for the 2PP experiments. The biocompatibility of the obtained structures (scaffolds) was tested in different cell cultures, which is a first step toward exploring their potential for applications in tissue engineering. Cells morphology, adhesion, and alignment were studied on polymeric structures with different shapes, obtained in various experimental conditions. Their interaction with normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHEM) and dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOK) was investigated, with the aim of obtaining an epidermal graft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRP-2/DOPAchrome tautomerase is a melanosomal glycoprotein involved in regulation of melanin synthesis and a melanoma differentiating antigen. TRP-2 high-mannose precursor is further processed in trans Golgi resulting mature protein with complex N-glycans. We show here that chloroqine (CQ) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) known to neutralize acidic organelles differently affect TRP-2 maturation in B16 melanoma cells. Pulse-chase experiments and immunofluorescence studies were performed on murine melanoma B16 cells, treated with 100 mM NH4Cl or 50 M CQ and anti-Pep8 antiserum against C-terminal was used for TRP-2 detection. Only when CQ was added within chase time period in which TRP-2 high-mannose precursor is converted to complex form, in trans Golgi compartment, TRP-2 complex glycosylated form is poorly detected but no accumulation of high-mannose form is observed. Similar treatment with NH4Cl has no effect on TRP-2 maturation. In immunoflourescence, TRP-2 CQ-treated shows a distribution in punctate structures stretched out all over the cell, and unlike in normal conditions only a small amount colocalizes with the TGN marker syntaxin 6. CQ effect on TRP-2 transport mainly to trans Golgi is probably due to the drug interference with the sorting machinery rather than to a change of the organelle pH, as no effect of NH4Cl, another weak base, was observed. A significant amount of TRP-2 complex glycoform in CQ-treated cells is probably misrouted and degraded. However, it seems that traffic between ER and cis/medial Golgi is dependent on organelle acidic pH as cells in which NH4Cl was added before pulse and maintained during chase contain only TRP-2 high-mannose precursor. TRP-2 accelerated degradation induced by CQ may indicate a new degradative (recycling) pathway for this protein in melanoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background, infectious endocarditis is a disorder of the cardiac valves w ith systemic repercussions and which mimics multiple pathologies, creating diagnostic difficulties. The neurologic complications are the most frequent extracardiac manifestation of the disease, with the highest mortality rate. Objective. Upon facing a clinical stroke-like onset, brain imagi ng raises the suspicion of possible cardioemboiic etiology. Specialized investigations confirm the primary diagnosis o f left-sided infective endocarditis (on native valves), w ith cerebral emolization. Method and results. We are presenting the case of a 70-year-old, diabetic male, with left hemiparesis with acute onset and recent history of fever, admitted in the Neurology Department o f the Ellas Emergency Hospital in November 2016. Clinical examination; altered state of conciousness- stupor, without neck stiffness, left hemiparesis (arm and face affected more than leg), intermittent fever. Cerebral CT scan and MRI without contrast both reveal multiple supratentorial ischemic lesions, affecting distinct, bilateral arterial vascularization territories. Bloodwork - leukocytosis w ith neutrophilia, azotemia. The clinical and biologic state dete riorate - obtundation, tetraparesis more pronounced on the left side, fever, multiple organ failure. The repeated CT scan of the brain shows hemorrhagic transformation in the left cerebral hemisphere. Transthoracic ecocardiography finds vegetations on the mitral and aortic valves. Empirical antibiotherapy is initiated, but the evolution is fulm inant - death within 6 days o f admission. Blood culture samples confirm the infection w ith Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion, discussion. Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis associating neurologic complications has the highest m ortality rate (30-40%), needing interdisciplinary cooperation in reaching a diagnosis, oftentimes successive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]