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Abstract
Background
Although, several studies have reported abnormal Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) values and anaemia associated with malaria infections with a focus on Plasmodium falciparum among patients with complicated and uncomplicated malaria, none has looked at the association with asymptomatic malaria. This study aimed to assess this association.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study using 3 mL of blood samples from 549 children aged 5–17 years attending 5 schools selected in the Volta Region. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to the children to obtain demographic data. Blood samples were collected to estimate the children's full blood count (FBC) and malaria status. Data obtained were analysed using STATA 15 software. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results
Most of the children in this study (49.9%) had normal MCV (81.3–91.3 fL) with an overall malaria prevalence of 55.6 % (95% CI: 51.3–59.8) and anaemia prevalence of 48.6% (95% CI 44.4–52.9). Most anaemic children had normal MCV (81.3–91.3 fL) (49.8, 95% CI 43.7–56.0). The predicted probability of malaria was highly likely among children with normal MCV (81.3–91.3 fL) but with high variability and uncertainty among those with low MCV (<81.3 fL) and high MCV (>91.3 fL).
Conclusion
This study shows a reduced predicted probability of malaria among children with low and high MCV, playing a protective function against malaria. Further studies are required to elucidate the interaction.
Abstract
This article presents an analysis of the impact of blanching and Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Cantonese bacon using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The study aims to investigate how different processing techniques influence the composition of volatile compounds in meat products, thereby contributing to the understanding of flavour release patterns.
The experiment involved dividing pork belly into six groups: conventional (C), heat treatment (H, 50 °C, 15 s), high-temperature treatment (S, 80 °C, 5 s), conventional treatment with GBE (CG, 0.5% GBE), heat composite treatment with GBE (HG, 50 °C, 15 s, 0.5% GBE), and high-temperature heat composite treatment with GBE (SG, 80 °C, 15 s, 0.5% GBE). The researchers identified a total of 36 compounds in the GC-IMS spectrum. The results showed that the ethanol content decreased in the H group samples after blanching treatment, while it increased in the S group samples. The CG, H, HG, and SG groups exhibited more significant changes compared to the C group. The H group had the highest number of VOCs among all the groups. Additionally, the flavour of the H, CG, and HG group products was notably enhanced.
In conclusion, GC-IMS allows for real-time visual analysis of VOCs, and both blanching treatment and the addition of GBE significantly affect the composition of VOCs in the samples.
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the phenolic profile, antioxidant capacity, and biological activity of Inula helenium subsp. pseudohelenium extracts, for the first time. Phenolic substances in leaf ethanol (L-EtOH), leaf pure water (L-PW), root ethanol (R-EtOH), and root pure water (R-PW) extracts of I. helenium subsp. pseudohelenium plant were investigated by HPLC. Also, the antimicrobial (hollow agar), antioxidant, antiproliferative, and DNA protective activities of the samples were examined in vitro. Gallic acid was not detected in the extracts, the presence of curcumin was detected only in EtOH extracts. L-EtOH exhibited the best antimicrobial activity. According to the antioxidant results, the L-EtOH extract had an activity profile close to the standard antioxidants in general. It was also found that the L-EtOH extract stabilised the DNA by disrupting the scavenging effect of H2O2+DMSO. According to the antiproliferative activity results, EtOH extracts exhibited the strongest effect, especially against MCF7 cancer cell lines. When evaluated in general terms, it was found that L-EtOH extract showed better activity than other extracts. It is important to conduct more in vivo and in vitro studies after isolating the active components of extracts e.g. L-EtOH, which have good effects in terms of biological activity.
Abstract
As a byproduct from the deep processing of longan fruit, longan kernel is rich in starch and is a good source for starch production. In this study, the rheological properties of longan kernel starch (LS) extracted by protease-assisted alkali method were investigated. When the shear rate was from 1 to 100 s−1, the pastes containing 4%–7% (w/v) of LS showed a non-Newtonian fluid with a pseudoplastic fluid characteristic. Their shear stress, apparent viscosity, complex viscosity, storage modulus (G′), and loss modulus (G″) positively correlated with starch concentration. The loss factor (tan δ) of all LS pastes was less than 1. At same concentration, LS paste showed a stronger pseudoplastic fluid characteristic and higher elasticity than corn starch and pea starch pastes. Based on this, LS has potential in processing of jelly, soft sweets, ham sausage, and some other sauces.
A hazai genetikai talajosztályozás megújításának szükségessége - 1.
A nevezéktan és a struktúra korrekcióra szoruló elemeinek azonosítása
The necessity of the renewal of the Hungarian genetic soil classification system - 1.
Identification of the elements of the nomenclature and structure to be corrected
A tanulmány a magyar genetikai osztályozás sok szempontból kritizált rendszerének következetlenségeit, illetve ellentmondásait elemzi azzal a szándékkal, hogy a rendszer fő jellemzőinek: a talajtaxonok elnevezésének és tartalmának megőrzése mellett szakmai párbeszédet indítson a hibák kijavításának lehetőségéről és a rendszer megújításáról.
Rámutattunk a nevében és koncepciójában genetikus, szerkezetében hierarchikus osztályozási rendszer hibrid jellegére: arra, hogy a fő genetikus szempont csak a főtípusok aggregációs szintjén érvényesül maradéktalanul, míg a típusoknál már mintegy egyharmad arányban diagnosztikus szempontok jelentik az elkülönítés alapját. Alsóbb hierarchiaszinteken (altípus, változat) pedig csaknem tisztán diagnosztikus az osztályozás. Listába rendeztük azokat a problémás típus, altípus és változati elnevezéseket, amelyek több hierarchiaszinten azonos névvel, és esetleg eltérő tartalommal fordulnak elő, illetve azonos hierarchiaszinten, de eltérő definíciókkal szerepelnek, vagy éppen szinonímnak tekinthetők, az eltérő elnevezés mögött rejlő azonos tartalom miatt. A vitacikk szándéka, hogy a kiszűrt hibák, következetlenségek széleskörű szakmai egyeztetést követően javításra kerüljenek.
Abstract
Fruit of rosehip (Rosa canina L.) has high economic, medicinal, and nutritional values. Rosehip is rarely consumed fresh due to limitations of seasonality and short shelf life. They are usually processed, which affects the nutritional and sensory characteristics of rosehip products. Radiation processing along with storage at 4 °C is a way to increase safety and prolong fresh rosehip durability. Rosehip fruits were harvested at enough maturity stage, irradiated at doses of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kGy, and stored at 25 and 4 °C for 60 days. Gamma irradiation at 1 kGy caused an increase in weight loss during storage for 60 days at 25 °C. Microbial counts, total phenolic contents (TPC), total anthocyanin contents (TAC), ascorbic acid contents (AAC), DPPH• scavenging activity, total colour difference (∆Eh ), and sensory properties were acceptable in the sample irradiated at 1 kGy and preserved for 60 days at 4 °C. The amounts of acidity, pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) were not significantly different from the control. Gamma irradiation at 1 kGy and thereafter storage of the irradiated fruit at 4 °C are suggested as minimal processing and storage conditions of rosehip fresh fruit (RFF) for 60 days.
Abstract
Identification of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes from tumor related antigens is a promising approach for malignant tumor immunotherapy. TC2N, a recently identified tumor associated antigen from human glioblastoma, is regarded as a promising target of tumor-specific immunotherapy. As one of the most widely used histocompatibility molecules in Chinese is HLA-A*0201, we were able to identify the TC2N peptides that are provided by this molecular type. A panel of antigenic peptides produced from TC2N were predicted by using a computer tool. The binding affinities of three peptides with the highest predicted score to the HLA-A*0201 molecule were evaluated after synthesis. In vitro and in vivo stimulation of the main T-cell response against the predicted peptides. The results demonstrated that TC2N (152-160) was able to release IFN-γ and lyse U251 cells in vitro as well as in vivo by eliciting peptide-specific CTLs. Our results indicated that peptide TC2N (152-160) (RLYGSVCDL) was a novel HLA-A2.1-restricted CTL epitope capable of inducing TC2N specific CTLs in vitro. As TC2N might qualify as a viable target for immunotherapeutic approaches for patients with GBM, we speculated that the newly identified epitope RLYGSVCDL would be of potential use in peptide-based, cancer-specific immunotherapy against GBM.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and daily leisure screen time. We carried out a cross-sectional study using a representative sample of the Spanish population aged from 3 to 14 years recruited for the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey (n = 4,633). We derived the adherence to the Mediterranean diet according to a modified Mediterranean Diet Score and computed daily leisure screen time. We estimated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios, and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of high versus low, high versus medium and medium versus low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, according to categories of daily leisure screen time, using Poisson regression models. We found that the adjusted probabilities of having high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, versus low and medium adherence, were 23% (aPR 0.77; 95% CI 0.69, 0.86) and 14% (aPR 0.86; 95% CI 0.76, 0.97) lower, respectively, in children spending at least 180 minutes of daily leisure screen time in comparison with children spending less than one hour of daily screen time. This association was also observed when stratifying by age, except for children 12–14 years. In conclusion, high leisure screen time may be associated with lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
Abstract
Autophagy is a cellular stress-induced intracellular process, through which damaged cellular components are decomposed via lysosomal degradation. This process plays important roles in host innate immunity, particularly the elimination of intracellular pathogens inside host macrophages. A more detailed understanding of the roles of autophagic events in the effective manifestation of macrophagic antimycobacterial activity is needed. Furthermore, the effects of medicinal plants on macrophagic autophagy response to mycobacterial infection need to be clarified. We herein examined the significance of autophagic events in the manifestation of host immunity during mycobacterial infection, by performing a literature search using PubMed. Recent studies demonstrated that autophagy up-regulated macrophage functions related to the intracellular killing of mycobacteria, even when pathogens were residing within the cytoplasm of macrophages. The majority of medicinal plants potentiated macrophagic autophagy, thereby enhancing their antimycobacterial functions. In contrast, most medicinal plants down-regulate the development and activation of the Th17 cell population, which reduces macrophage antimycobacterial activity. These opposing effects of medicinal plants on macrophage autophagy (enhancement) and Th17 cell functions (inhibition) may provide a plausible explanation for the clinical observation of their modest efficacy in the treatment of mycobacterial infections.
Abstract
Benzoic acid naturally exists in a variety of plants and fermented foods, and jujube contains natural benzoic acid. This study scrutinises the content of benzoic acid in diverse jujube cultivars, and its modulation by variables such as harvest timing, product types, and drying techniques. The methodology encompasses tracking the progressive augmentation of benzoic acid throughout the maturation process of jujube, with the apex content being 144.4 mg kg−1 in the Junzao cultivar. It further investigates the substantial fluctuations in benzoic acid content in jujube powder under disparate processing conditions, with the zenith content observed in drum-dried jujube powder at 127.6 mg kg−1, and an unexpectedly elevated level of 66.2 mg kg−1 in freeze-dried jujube powder. As long as it is not consumed excessively, it will not cause harm to the human body. The conclusion drawn from this research posits can be employed to resolve consumer grievances, or as a benchmark for testing services for product quality control.
