Evaluation of bigel systems as potential substitutes to partially replace pork backfat in semi-dry sausages.

Bigels prepared with olive oil oleogels admixed with κ-carrageenan or κ-carrageenan and gelatin hydrogels (BG1 and BG2, respectively) were characterized with respect to microstructure and textural properties and were used as pork backfat alternatives in semi-dry sausages. Stable oleogel-in-hydrogel type bigels were formed, with BG2 having higher hardness values. Control sausages (CF) were formulated with 20% pork backfat and sausage treatments B1F and B2F had 50% of the pork backfat substituted by BG1 and BG2 bigels, respectively. Moisture, water activity, texture, microbial counts, sensorial and nutritional attributes of the resulting sausages were assessed during fermentation and after pasteurization and storage. Substituted sausages had increased weight loss, moisture, and water activity. Color evaluation revealed that the treatments with bigels exhibited the same trend in color formation and no differences were recorded in L* and a* values of the sausages. Total viable counts and lactic acid bacteria populations were not affected by the addition of bigel systems. Regarding the texture parameters, B2F semi-dry sausages exhibited similar values of hardness and cohesiveness to CF. Sausages formulated with bigels exhibited a reduction in energy (20%), fat (27%), saturated fatty acids (30%) and cholesterol (∼6%) content. B2F sausages had similar liking scores with CF, and they did not show any undesirable sensory attributes. The results demonstrate that bigels are a promising fat alternative to manufacture semi-dry meat products with lower fat content and a better nutritional profile.

Non-physician health-care workers and voluntary blood donation: an ambiguous relationship.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of voluntary blood donation (BD) among the non-physician health-care workers of our institution, to investigate the relationship between these parameters and to determine the predictors of BD practice. BACKGROUND: KAP surveys provide a popular context-specific evidence base for the development of blood transfusion services' strategies and interventions to promote voluntary, non-remunerated BD. However, there are just few studies worldwide assessing KAP of BD among health-care workers. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional exploratory study, which took place at the 'Ippokrateio' General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece, a tertiary health-care institution. A specially designed, pre-tested questionnaire was distributed to all non-physician health-care workers of the hospital. A total of 1140 questionnaires were distributed. Participation in the study was optional and anonymous. Regarding data analysis, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to describe the relationship between different elements of KAP of BD and to determine possible predictors of BD practice. RESULTS: The response rate was 25·5% (291 respondents). Logistic regression analysis revealed a positive attitude towards family replacement as an important predictor of both regular and voluntary BD, with male gender also a predictor of the latter. An inconsistency between knowledge, attitude and practice of BD was revealed. CONCLUSIONS: The present study adds valuable data on KAP of BD among health-care workers. This will help blood transfusion services to improve management practices among this group as they have the potential to provide a reliable, stable and safe source of blood products.

Palmitic acid in the sn-2 position of dietary triacylglycerols does not affect insulin secretion or glucose homeostasis in healthy men and women.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary triacylglycerols containing palmitic acid in the sn-2 position might impair insulin release and increase plasma glucose. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used a cross-over designed feeding trial in 53 healthy Asian men and women (20-50 years) to test this hypothesis by exchanging 20% energy of palm olein (PO; control) with randomly interesterified PO (IPO) or high oleic acid sunflower oil (HOS). After a 2-week run-in period on PO, participants were fed PO, IPO and HOS for 6 week consecutively in randomly allocated sequences. Fasting (midpoint and endpoint) and postprandial blood at the endpoint following a test meal (3.54 MJ, 14 g protein, 85 g carbohydrate and 50 g fat as PO) were collected for the measurement of C-peptide, insulin, glucose, plasma glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1, lipids and apolipoproteins; pre-specified primary and secondary outcomes were postprandial changes in C-peptide and plasma glucose. RESULTS: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol was 0.3 mmol/l (95% confidence interval (95% CI)) 0.1, 0.5; P<0.001) lower on HOS than on PO or IPO as predicted, indicating good compliance to the dietary intervention. There were no significant differences (P=0.58) between diets among the 10 male and 31 female completers in the incremental area under the curve (0-2 h) for C-peptide in nmol.120 min/l: GM (95% CI) were PO 220 (196, 245), IPO 212 (190, 235) and HOS 224 (204, 244). Plasma glucose was 8% lower at 2 h on IPO vs PO and HOS (both P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Palmitic acid in the sn-2 position does not adversely impair insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis.

Palmitic acid in the sn-2 position decreases glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide secretion in healthy adults.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary triacylglycerols (TAGs) containing palmitic acid in the sn-2 position might impair insulin release and increase plasma glucose. We tested this hypothesis by comparing postprandial responses to fats with varying proportions of palmitic acid in the sn-2 position. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Using a crossover-designed randomized controlled trial in healthy men (n=25) and women (n=25), we compared four meals on postprandial changes in glucose (primary outcome), insulin, C-peptide, glucose, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and polypeptide YY (PYY) concentrations. The meals provided 14 g protein, 85 g carbohydrate and 50 g test fat, supplied as high oleic sunflower (HOS) oil (control), palm olein (PO), interesterified palm olein (IPO) and lard containing 0.6, 9.2, 39.1 and 70.5 mol% palmitic acid at sn-2, respectively. RESULTS: No differences in plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide response between meals were found. GIP release was lower (P<0.001) for IPO and lard compared with HOS and PO meals; the maximal increments (geometric mean and 95% confidence interval) for HOS, PO, IPO and lard were 515 (468, 569), 492 (448, 540), 398 (350, 452) and 395 (364, 429) ng/l, respectively. There was a trend for the postprandial increase in PYY to be lower in women on the IPO and lard meals than those on the HOS and PO meals. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary TAGs with an increased proportion of palmitic acid in the sn-2 position do not have acute adverse effects on the insulin and glucose response to meals in healthy men and women, but they decrease GIP release.

Expression of intercellular adhesion molecules in the bladder of patients with interstitial cystitis.

OBJECTIVES: To study the presence of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), P-selectin, and E-selectin, as well as the cytoskeletal components talin and vinculin that bind to cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs), in bladder biopsies from patients with interstitial cystitis (IC) and controls. IC is a sterile, bladder disorder characterized by urinary frequency and pelvic floor pain. The pathologic bladder findings include defective urothelium, activated mast cells, and variable inflammation. Mast cells can induce the expression of CAMs necessary for initiation of inflammation. METHODS: Fresh frozen biopsies were analyzed immunocytochemically from 2 female normal bladders, 10 female IC bladders, 1 clear margin of transitional cell carcinoma of female bladder, 1 normal foreskin, 1 transitional cell carcinoma of foreskin, and 1 inflamed male finger. RESULTS: Of the 10 IC samples, 9 were positive for ICAM-1, 6 for P-selectin, 6 for vinculin, 5 for talin, and 4 for E-selectin, all exclusively perivascular. Both normal bladders were negative for ICAM-1 and P-selectin and faintly positive for E-selectin, and one was weakly positive for talin and vinculin; the normal foreskin was negative. The "control" samples from the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and foreskin, as well as the inflamed finger skin, were positive only for ICAM-1. An increased number of activated mast cells associated with ICAM-1 was noted in IC. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that ICAM-1 is expressed in IC, with variable expression of the other markers studied, supporting the different degrees of bladder inflammation noted in patients with IC.

Triamidoamine complexes of chromium(III) and chromium(IV).

Treatment of [CrCl3(THF)3] with slightly more than 1 equiv of Li3(N3N) [(N3N)(3-) = ((Me3SiNCH2CH2)3N)(3-)] affords the triamidoamine complex [Cr(N3N)] (1) in 75% yield. 1 is oxidized by PhICl2, CuCl2, or AgCl to give the chromium(IV) complex [Cr(N3N)Cl] (2) in moderate yields. Alternatively, complex 2 is obtained directly from [CrCl3(THF)3] in 50% yield after treatment with 0.5 equiv of Li3(N3N). Both compounds are high-spin complexes bearing three and two unpaired electrons, respectively. Their molecular structures are described revealing a trigonal monopyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometry of the chromium center, respectively.

Increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in relation to mast cells in the bladder of interstitial cystitis patients.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a sterile, painful bladder disorder, often associated with inflammation. A defective urothelium and activated mast cells have been implicated in the pathophysiology of IC. Mast cells have been reported to induce the expression of intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM) that are considered a necessary first step for the initiation of inflammation. We investigated the presence of ICAM-1 and its association with bladder mast cells in IC patients and controls in order to further understand their role in the pathophysiology of IC. Bladder tissue was fresh frozen and 7m section were cut using a cryostat. Immunocytochemical detection was carried out with monoclonal antibodies directed against anti-ICAM1 and tryptase. Twenty-one biopsies from women with IC and two from normal tissue from radical cystectomies (control) were analyzed. All IC samples were strongly positive for ICAM-1, exclusively in capillaries. Control samples were only faintly positive in fewer capillaries. Numerous mast cells were identified in the positive regions with toluidine blue or tryptase immunocytochemistry. This work may help explain why many IC patients develop sterile inflammation. It may also provide evidence further explaining the role of bladder mast cells in the pathophysiology of IC.

Effect of stress and other psychological factors on the pathophysiology and treatment of dermatoses.

Psychological factors precipitate or increase the morbidity of many dermatoses. There is increasing evidence that stress influences disease processes and contributes to the inflammation through vasoactive neuropeptides, lymphokines or other chemical mediators. Experimental results indicate that the endocrine, nervous and immune systems can no longer be considered autonomous, but involve complex bidirectional interactions between them. Dermatology holds a distinct position in psychosomatic medicine because it deals with an organ that can be readily seen and touched. The psychological states of anxiety, fear, shame, pleasure, and sexual excitation are visibly indicated by blushing, hair-rising, growing pale, itching or hyperhidrosis. The skin, therefore, clearly responds to many psychologic and stressful stimuli. As the skin is exposed to view, dermatoses elicit reactions from the patients' environment and the easy accessibility of the skin allows patients to interact directly with their lesions. In addition to the classic stress response involving increased levels of neuroendocrine hormones and autonomic neurotransmitters, stress also affects the immune system. Stress has been reported to cause decreased natural killer cell cytotoxicity, depressed mitogenic responses in lymphocytes, increased IgA levels, enhanced neutrophil phagocytosis and activation of interferon synthesis in lymphocytes. Psychodermatological syndromes can be classified according to the type and degree of causal relationship between the psychological etiology and the dermatoses. There is some overlap between the groups, but there is a satisfactory classification under three major headings that suggests an approach to treatment.

Characterization and crystal structure of zinc azurin, a by-product of heterologous expression in Escherichia coli of Pseudomonas aeruginosa copper azurin.

Azurin*, a by-product of heterologous expression of the gene encoding the blue copper protein azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Escherichia coli, was characterized by chemical analysis and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and its structure determined by X-ray crystallography. It was shown that azurin* is native azurin with its copper atom replaced by zinc in the metal binding site. Zinc is probably incorporated in the apo-protein after its expression and transport into the periplasm. Holo-azurin can be reconstituted from azurin* by prolonged exposure of the protein to high copper ion concentrations or unfolding of the protein and refolding in the presence of copper ions. An X-ray crystallographic analysis of azurin* at 0.21-nm resolution revealed that the overall structure of azurin is not perturbed by the metal exchange. However, the geometry of the co-ordination sphere changes from trigonal bipyramidal in the case of copper azurin to distorted tetrahedral for the zinc protein. The copper ligand Met121 is no longer co-ordinated to zinc which adopts a position close to the carbonyl oxygen atom from residue Gly45. The polypeptide structure surrounding the metal site undergoes moderate reorganization upon zinc binding. The largest displacement observed is for the carbonyl oxygen from residue Gly45, which is involved in copper and zinc binding. It moves by 0.03 nm towards the zinc, thereby reducing its distance to the metal from 0.29 nm in the copper protein to 0.23 nm in the derivative.