Microbial activity and the turnover of organic matter in a municipal refuse disposed of in a landfill

Summary The development of different cultural groups of microorganisms, respiratory activity of the complex microflora, change in the contents of organic mass and, furthermore, the production and optical properties of humic substances were investigated in municipal refuse which had been disposed of for 20 months in a model landfill of about 40 m³.Among various microorganisms, the proteolytic bacteria were the prevalent group, although the relative participation of actinomycetes in the microflora raised in the later stages of the disposal. The microbial counts were almost stable after 8 to 12 months. Respiratory activity decreased up to the twentieth month, due to the lack in utilizable organic substances as a carbon source. Humic substances were extracted from municipal refuse and after the twelfth month of refuse disposal they were similar to soil humic acid with respect to their spectral properties in the visible, UV and IR wave range.     

Effects of dietary plant polyphenols and seaweed extract mixture on male-rabbit semen: Quality traits and antioxidant markers

Feed additive consisting of polysaccharides from brown seaweeds plus phenolic acid, hydroxycinnamic acids, tannins, and flavonoids from plant extracts, was used as rabbit food supplement. Main aim of the study was to determine the effect of natural mix of marine and freshwater seaweed polyphenols on selected reproductive characteristics of male rabbits during the 90-days experiment. Natural mix was incorporated in feed-pellets for rabbits in two different concentrations – 0.3% (T1 group) and 0.6% (T2 group), compared with a control group (C group). In experimental groups a significant increase of concentration of calcium during first 30 days of supplementation was found. An increase of alanine aminotransferase, glutathione peroxidase and ferric reducing ability of plasma and a decrease in aspartate aminotransferase after 90 days were recorded in the same groups. Except for that we noticed decrease of semen distance of curved line and velocity of curved line after 30 days though only while being supplemented with 0.6% proportion of seaweed polyphenols in feed mixture. Based on the results it can be stated that the natural mix in the tested levels do not show adverse effect on male rabbit reproductive parameters, and an improvement of antioxidant status was observed. The feed additives can have a very important effect on growth, health and development of animals in general as it supplies the with the much-needed minerals, nutritional substances and antioxidants, on which we focused in our study.     

The first case of lymphogranuloma venereum in a woman in East-Central Europe and its multiple co-infections

We are reporting the first case of lymphogranuloma venereum in women in East-Central Europe. A 22-year-old heterosexual woman attended our department of venereology. She complained about a burning sensation in the urethra and vaginal discharge. Many tests were performed, and lymphogranuloma venereum, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydial urethritis and cervicitis, genital herpes, genital warts, and hepatitis C were diagnosed. Lymphogranuloma venereum was originally endemic in tropical and subtropical areas, but since 2003, outbreaks of this infection have been reported in North America, Europe, and Australia in men who have sex with men (MSM) community. To date, all cases of lymphogranuloma venereum in the Czech Republic appeared in men, predominantly in HIV-positive MSM. There are not many evidences about lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in women in developed countries. This report underlines the need for awareness of lymphogranuloma venereum in women among gynecologists, venereologists, and other physicians not only in Western Europe, but across all European countries.     

The Impact of Water Content and Mixing Time on the Linear and Non-Linear Rheology of Wheat Flour Dough

The viscoelastic properties of wheat flour dough are known to be very sensitive to small changes in water content and mixing time. In this study the simple scaling law originally proposed by Hibberd (1970) [Rheol. Acta 9, 497-500] to capture the water dependency of the dynamic moduli in small amplitude oscillatory shear, was also applied to creep-recovery shear tests and extensional tests. The scaling law turns out to be valid not only in the linear region, but to a certain extent also in the non-linear region. At sufficiently high water levels, a ‘free’ water phase exists in dough, which attenuates the starch-starch and gluten-starch interactions. Dough characterisation after different mixing times shows that overmixing may cause a disaggregation or even depolymerisation of the gluten network. The network breakdown, as well as the subsequent (partial) recovery, are clearly reflected in the value of the strain-hardening index, for which a maximum is reached at a mixing time close to the optimum as determined with the Mixograph. Finally, the gluten proteins turn out to be much less susceptible to overmixing in an oxygen-lean environment, which demonstrates the significant role of oxygen in the degradation process.     

Predictive and prognostic significance of tumour subtype,SSTR1-5 and e-cadherin expression in a well-defined cohort of patients with acromegaly

In somatotroph pituitary tumours, somatostatin analogue (SSA) therapy outcomes vary throughout the studies. We performed an analysis of cohort of patients with acromegaly from the Czech registry to identify new prognostic and predictive factors. Clinical data of patients were collected, and complex immunohistochemical assessment of tumour samples was performed (SSTR1-5, dopamine D2 receptor, E-cadherin, AIP). The study included 110 patients. In 31, SSA treatment outcome was evaluated. Sparsely granulated tumours (SGST) differed from the other subtypes in expression of SSTR2A, SSTR3, SSTR5 and E-cadherin and occurred more often in young. No other clinical differences were observed. Trouillas grading system showed association with age, tumour size and SSTR2A expression. Factors significantly associated with SSA treatment outcome included age, IGF1 levels, tumour size and expression of E-cadherin and SSTR2A. In the group of SGST, poor SSA response was observed in younger patients with larger tumours, lower levels of SSTR2A and higher Ki67. We observed no relationship with expression of other proteins including AIP. No predictive value of E-cadherin was observed when tumour subtype was considered . Multiple additional factors apart from SSTR2A expression can predict treatment outcome in patients with acromegaly.     

Excessive exercise training causes mitochondrial functional impairment and decreases glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers

1. Download : Download high-res image (145KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image