Effect of gender on breast and thigh turkey meat quality.

1. The influence of gender on chemical composition, physicochemical parameters, fatty acid profile, amino acid and mineral composition of turkey breast and thigh meat was studied in order to assess nutrient requirements. 2. Chemical composition showed that only intramuscular fat in breast meat was significantly affected by gender (p < 0.05). The results showed a higher percentage of intramuscular fat in male samples, almost double the amount found in females (0.73% vs. 0.38%). 3.For meat colour parameters, only a* showed different results between sexes, with male samples (breast: p < 0.01; thigh: p < 0.001) having the highest values. 4. Fatty acid profiles showed that medium chain unsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant. The significant differences (p < 0.05) found in both breast and thigh muscle could be linked to a difference in metabolism between males and females. 5.There were higher levels of C16:1n-7 in females (breast: p < 0.001; thigh: p < 0.01) compared with male muscle sample (5.05 vs. 2.67 g/100 g in breast and 4.95 vs. 3.27 g/100 g in thigh). Nutritional indices (n-6/n-3 and thrombogenic index) were more favourable in female samples demonstrating that female turkeys had better fatty acid profile than the others. 6. Turkey meat is an important source of dietary amino acids, and female samples had the highest contents both of essential and non-essential amino acids. Furthermore, gender had a numeric effect (p > 0.05) on amino acid composition. 7. Mineral composition showed that Na, Zn and Fe were the minerals most affected by turkey gender.

Relationships among hygiene indicators in take-away foodservice establishments and the impact of climatic conditions.

AIMS: This paper examined the relationships among hygiene indicators in take-away foodservice establishments and the impact of climatic conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 7545 samples were collected encompassing 2050 from food handlers' (HF) hands, 3991 from stainless steel food contact surfaces (FCS) and 1504 samples from plastic FCS. The study covered a period of 43 months. Hygiene-indicator bacteria (total plate count, Enterobacteriaceae Staphylococcus) were determined from the samples collected from 559 different take-away establishments. Climatic conditions were evaluated in respect to the outside temperature, pressure, humidity and precipitation. Logistic regression confirmed that the presence of precipitation was associated with an increased likelihood of exhibiting both Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus on HF' hands as well as exhibiting Enterobacteriaceae on both types of FCS. Numerable Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus levels on HF' hands were detected when higher outside temperatures and higher precipitations occurred. Higher outside temperatures were observed when Enterobacteriaceae were detected on both plastics (P < 0·05) and stainless steel (P > 0·05). Higher precipitation was observed when Enterobacteriaceae was detected on stainless steel while in contrast, this indicator was detected on plastics in periods with lower precipitation. CONCLUSIONS: This research confirms relationships between hygiene indicators in take-aways and climatic conditions, mostly temperature and precipitation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides another perspective into the possible nature of cross-contamination and foodborne outbreaks originating in foodservice establishments and brings to attention the necessity of analysing various climatic conditions.

Expression and release of LAG-3-encoded protein by human CD4+ T cells are associated with IFN-gamma production .

The lymphocyte activation gene (LAG) -3 is a member of the immunoglobulin super-family that is selectively transcribed in human activated T and NK cells. In this work, the possibility that LAG-3 expression by human CD4+ T cells was preferentially related to one or another phenotype of cytokine secretion was investigated. Surface LAG-3 expression correlated with IFN-gamma, but not IL-4, production in antigen-stimulated T cells and it was up-regulated by IL-12. Most activated CD4+ T cell clones with established Th1 or Th0 profiles of cytokine secretion expressed LAG-3 on their surface, whereas the great majority of Th2 clones showed neither surface LAG-3 nor LAG-3 mRNA expression. After activation, the majority of CD4+ T cell clones also released soluble LAG-3-related peptides, and such a release correlated positively with the production of IFN-gamma and inversely with the production of IL-4. Thus, LAG-3 expression by activated CD4+ human T cells appear to be preferentially associated with the differentiation/activation pathway leading to the production of IFN-gamma.

[Splenectomy in the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]. / Splenektomija u lecenju idiopatske trombocitopenijske purpure.

During the period from 1985 till 1988, 48 patients with this disease were treated; in 28 patients (58%) conservatively treated with pronisone, immunated with thrombocytes that possessed onkovin, a remission had been achieved. In 20 patients (41%), following an unsuccessful conservative treatment, splenectomy was performed; of whom 14 were female (70%) and 6 were male (30%), with an average age of 36 years (between 20-52 years). Prior to that they were conservatively treated from 1-15 years (on the average 4.7 years). Despite the failure of the conservative treatment, an indication for splenectomy was the high doses of corticosteroids needed, as well as the appearance of serious unwanted effects of this therapy (ulcer, steroid diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis), also the unsuccessful treatment with thrombocytes which carried onkovin. There was no surgical lethality; 2 female patients developed deep ileofemoral thrombophlebitis of the left leg, one 7 days, and the other 1 1/2 months following the surgery, and after an adnexoparametritis of the left side. Following intensive anticoagulant and fibrinolytic therapy, a complete recanalization of the vein was achieved in both female patients, without any signs of a postphlebitis syndrome. One patient who had previously been treated for 15 years with high doses of pronisone and persistently refused surgery during this period, followed splenectomy developed miliary tuberculosis which ended lethally 2 months following the splenectomy. In 14 patients (73.6%) a complete remission was attained. In 2 patients (10.5%) the number of thrombocytes was not necessary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)