Determining the Dose of Radiation and Radurisation Effects on the Antioxidant Activity of Fish and the Thermophysical Characteristics of Fish Muscle Tissue.

The aim of this article is to develop a method for determining the dose of radiation in the processing of chilled fish and its effect on the antioxidant activity and thermophysical characteristics of muscle tissue. Radiation processing of chilled fish was performed using a linear electron accelerator model LEA-10-10S2. The dose of radiation was determined by the method of electron-paramagnetic resonance. After being treated with ionizing radiation, the cooled fish meets the requirements of the technical regulations of TR TU 021/2011 "On food safety" and TR EAEU 040/2016 "On the safety of fish and fish products". As a result of our research, a correlation was established between the area of the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) signal and the absorbed dose of the radiation dose. We proved a decrease in the antioxidant activity of muscle tissue of fish with an increase in radiation dose. It is established that radiation treatment of chilled fish affects the thermophysical properties of muscle tissue.

Analysis of the current world biofuel production under a water-food-energy nexus perspective.

This paper assesses the sustainability of bioenergy production under a nexus perspective through a new efficiency type index. The index describes 1st generation biofuel production under the perspective of the implied consumption of natural resources. We consider the sustainability of energy production as a sequence of steps, each characterised by its efficiency, and propose an index which returns an overall efficiency value describing the adequacy or inadequacy of the considered processes under a nexus perspective. The direct application of the nexus index entails an indication of the possible improvements needed to move production towards most sustainable processes or places. Moreover, it allows evaluating the efficiency of the main crops currently used in biofuel production with respect to the water-food-energy nexus. The results depict countries presently capable of performing sustainable production of 1st generation biofuel from particular crops. Furthermore, the analysis of the single components of the nexus index allows understanding the effects of possible improvements (e.g. soil and water management, new generation biofuels) on the overall production efficiency under a nexus perspective.

Urinary Incontinence and Levels of Regular Physical Exercise in Young Women.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of different levels of regular physical exercise on the frequency of urinary incontinence in young nulliparous women from the northern region of Portugal. Participants (n=386) self-reported demographic variables, frequency, and time spent practicing organized exercise per week, as well as completed the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form. The level of exercise was calculated based on the time (in minutes) usually spent per week in organized exercise. 19.9% of Portuguese nulliparous women reported incontinence symptoms. Considering the distribution of urinary incontinence among the different quartiles of organized exercise, women from the 4(th)quartile (those who train for competitive purposes) demonstrated highest relative frequency (p=0.000) and a 2.53 greater relative risk to develop (95% CIs,1.3-2.7) incontinence compared to women from the 1(st) quartile (inactive). Women who practice exercise for recreational purposes (2(nd) and 3(rd) quartiles) did not show significant differences in the urinary incontinence prevalence and relative risk of developing it compared to women from the 1(st) quartile. The results showed that women participating in organized exercise involving high volume training for competition are potentially at risk of developing urinary incontinence, although organized exercise undertaken without the intent to compete seems to be safe for maintaining urinary continence.

Study on the influence of the fetus head molding on the biomechanical behavior of the pelvic floor muscles, during vaginal delivery.

Pelvic floor injuries during vaginal delivery are considered a significant risk factor to develop pelvic floor dysfunction. The molding of the fetus head during vaginal delivery facilitates the labor progress, since it adjusts to the birth canal geometry. In this work, a finite element model was used to represent the effects induced by the passage of the fetus head on the pelvic floor. The numerical model used for this simulation included the pelvic floor muscles attached to the bones, and a fetus body. The model of the fetus head included the skin and soft tissues, the skull with sutures and fontanelles, and the brain. The fetus head movements during birth in vertex position were simulated: descent, internal rotation and extension. Two models of the fetus head were compared: a rigid and a deformable one, with the inclusion of the cranial sutures. The influence of the fetus head molding on the pelvic floor muscles was analyzed by evaluating their reaction forces, stretch, and stress and strain fields. Additionally, anatomical indices for the molding of the fetal skull were obtained and compared with clinical data. The passage of the deformable fetus head through the birth canal leads to a reduction of 17.3% on the reaction forces on the pelvic floor muscles when compared to the ones of a rigid head. Furthermore, the fetus head molding implies inferior resistance to rotation resulting in a reduction of 1.86% in muscle stretching. Quantitative evaluation of the fetus head molding showed good agreement with clinical experiments.

Do asymptomatic former high-impact sports practitioners maintain the ability to contract the pelvic floor muscles?

AIM: Sports are associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. This work aimed to assess, in nulliparous asymptomatic women, whether previous intense practice of high-impact sports is associated with differences in morphology and contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, when compared to women who practiced low-level physical activity. METHODS: In this prospective pilot study, 7 former high-impact sports practitioners and a control group (N.=7) were compared. Clinical evaluation and self-administered questionnaires were used to gather information about pelvic floor dysfunction and physical activity. Static and cine dynamic MR images were acquired. Morphological measures of the pubovisceral muscle area and thickness, and levator hiatus (LH) anterior-to-posterior diameter, width and area were taken in the static images. LH anterior-to-posterior diameter was again assessed in the dynamic acquisition (consecutive blocks of rest vs. maximal voluntary contraction). The relative variation between these two conditions was used as an indirect measure of contraction. RESULTS: No abnormal clinical or imaging findings were reported. Former high-impact sports practitioners evidenced decreased pubovisceral muscle thickness (right side P=0.005; left side P=0.004) and area (P=0.004), and larger levator hiatus width and area (P=0.045; P=0.005). Only its anterior-to-posterior diameter was similar (4.89cm±0.35 and 4.81cm±0.17, respectively). Their ability to perform maximum voluntary contractions seems to have decreased (8.03%±0.81 vs. 13.74%±0.95 for controls). CONCLUSION: The current results suggest that women who previously practiced high-impact sports, even being asymptomatic, may have suffered damage to the pelvic floor muscles due to the biomechanical impact of the sports. They may require pelvic floor muscle training to increase muscle thickness and hiatal closing capacity.

Detection of cheese whey and caseinomacropeptide in fermented milk beverages using high performance liquid chromatography / Detecção de soro lácteo e caseinomacropeptídeo por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência em bebidas lácteas fermentadas

Cheese whey level and caseinomacropeptide (CMP) index of fermented milk beverages added with four levels of cheese whey (0, 10, 20, and 40percent) and stored at 8-10oC for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-gel filtration (HPLC-GF). Additionally, the interference of the starter culture and the storage time on the detection of cheese whey and CMP were investigated. Refrigerated storage up to 21 days did not affect (P>0.05) cheese whey and CMP amounts in milk (0 percent of cheese whey) and in fermented milk beverages added with 10 and 20percent of cheese whey (P>0.05). However, cheese whey and CMP amounts were higher than expected (P<0.05) in fermented milk beverages added with 40 percent of cheese whey and stored for 21 days...

O presente trabalho teve como objetivos quantificar o teor de soro e o índice de caseinomacropeptídeo (CMP) de bebidas lácteas fermentadas preparadas em laboratório, adicionadas de diferentes concentrações de soro (0, 10, 20 e 40 por cento), fermentadas e armazenadas em refrigeração (8-10oC) por tempos distintos (zero, sete, 14 e 21 dias), por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência-filtração em gel (CLAE-FG), bem como verificar a interferência da cultura utilizada no preparo das bebidas lácteas fermentadas e do tempo de armazenamento na detecção de soro lácteo e CMP. Quando os teores de soro lácteo e os índices de CMP obtidos por CLAE-FG de bebidas lácteas fermentadas foram analisados ao longo do tempo de armazenamento, verificou-se que não houve diferença (p>0,05) para o leite (0 por cento de soro) e as bebidas lácteas com 10 e 20 por cento de soro nos tempos de zero, sete, 14 e 21 dias de armazenamento. No entanto, para a bebida láctea fermentada adicionada de 40 por cento de soro, foi observada diferença para o tempo de armazenamento de 21 dias (p<0,05), em que o teor de soro e o índice de CMP obtidos foram maiores que os demais, que se mostraram equivalentes entre si (p>0,05) para os tempos de zero, sete e 14 dias...

Oxford Grading Scale vs manometer for assessment of pelvic floor strength in nulliparous sports students.

OBJECTIVES: To compare pelvic floor muscle strength in nulliparous sports students measured using the modified Oxford Grading Scale and a Peritron manometer; and to compare the manometric measurements between continent and incontinent subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. All subjects were evaluated twice on the same day; first by vaginal digital examination and subsequently by vaginal pressure using a Peritron manometer. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-three nulliparous female sports students [mean age 21 (standard deviation 4) years] from the Sports Faculty of the University of Porto. RESULTS: This study found a significant moderate correlation between the Oxford Grading Scale score and peak pressure on manometry (r=0.646, P=0.002). Mean maximal strength for the entire group was 70.4cmH2O (range 21 to 115cmH2O). Out of 43 subjects, 37% (n=16) demonstrated signs of incontinence. On manometry, no significant differences were found in vaginal resting pressure or peak pressure between the continent and incontinent groups. CONCLUSIONS: There was moderate correlation between peak pressure on manometry and the Oxford Grading Scale score. Peritron manometer measurements of pelvic floor muscle contractions showed no significant differences in vaginal resting pressure and peak pressure in continent and incontinent subjects.

An approach on determining the displacements of the pelvic floor during voluntary contraction using numerical simulation and MRI.

The present study was conducted in order to establish a methodology based on the finite element method to simulate the contraction of the pelvic floor (PF) muscles. In the generated finite element model, a downward pressure of 90 cm H(2)O was applied, while actively contracting the PF muscles with different degrees of muscular activation (10, 50 and 100%). The finite element methodology of the active contraction behaviour proposed in this study is adequate to simulate PF muscle contraction with different degrees of muscular activation. In this case, in particular, for an activation of 100%, the numerical model was able to displace the pubovisceral muscle in a range of values very similar to the displacement found in the magnetic resonance imaging data. In the analysed case study, it would be possible to conclude that an intensity contraction of 50% would be necessary to produce enough stiffness to avoid possible urine loss.

Effects of HgCl2 on porphobilinogen-synthase (E.C. 4.2.1.24) activity and on mercury levels in rats exposed during different precocious periods of postnatal life.

Porphobilinogen-synthase (PBG-synthase) is an enzyme extensively used as a bioindicator of metals and other oxidizing agents. The objective of this study was to verify the effects of HgCl(2) (5mg/kg/day, s.c.), a metal that mainly affects the nervous and renal systems, on kidney, liver and brain from rats exposed during one of the phases considered critical for development. Mercury decreased PBG-synthase activity from liver, kidney and brain and altered corporal, renal and cerebral weights. The kidney was the most sensitive tissue. It accumulated a large amount of metal and PBG-synthase activity was decreased up to 50%. The second period seemed to be the most sensitive, because in this phase the rats presented alterations in body, brain and kidney weights, and there was also an expressive inhibition in hepatic and renal PBG-synthase activities. In general, large quantities of metal accumulated in the tissues are in agreement with the inhibition verified in these tissues.

Is there an influence of X-chromosomal imprinting on the phenotype in Klinefelter syndrome? A clinical and molecular genetic study of 61 cases.

Studies on Turner syndrome suggested the presence of X-chromosomal-imprinted genes involved in social and verbal cognition. Imprinted genes on autosomes were shown to affect growth. Could imprinting of such genes on the X chromosome also influence psychomotor development and growth in men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS), who have a supernumerary X? We recorded anthropometric and psychomotor development parameters for 61 males with KS (age range 2-56 years). In 54 cases, we were able to assess intelligence quotient (IQ) and found that impaired speech - and motor developmental problems were reported significantly more often in the paternal X - than in the maternal X group (P = 0.02). We found some significant (P < 0.05) increased body size parameters in the paternal X group, which concurs with data reporting a growth promoting influence of paternally derived genes. Our results suggest X-chromosomal imprinting occurs in males with KS.

Sensitivity of delta-ALA-D (E.C. 4.2.1.24) of rats to metals in vitro depends on the stage of postnatal growth and tissue.

Heavy metals, like cadmium, lead, and mercury, are potential toxic substances. The exposure to these metals can cause renal disturbances and neurological alterations. Young rats are more sensitive to harmful agents than adult animals. Delta-ALA-D enzyme acts as a biomarker of these exposures, since it has high affinity for divalent metals. The purpose of this search was to investigate the sensitivity of delta-ALA-D from suckling rats to cadmium, lead or mercury in vitro. IC(50) for delta-ALA-D activity of brain, kidneys, and liver from rats with ages between 1 and 6, 8 and 13 or 17 and 21 days was determined using metals concentrations that range from 0 to 200 microM for CdCl(2), 0 to 600 microM for HgCl(2) and from 0 to 50 microM for lead acetate. The results demonstrated that the cerebral delta-ALA-D activity is more sensitive to lead acetate than to cadmium and mercury. Delta-ALA-D from hepatic tissue is the most resistant to presence of mercury chloride in assay medium. Lead and cadmium are more toxic to renal enzyme than mercury. To sum up, the sensitivity of delta-ALA-D enzyme of young rats to heavy metals studied depends on the phase of development and tissue.