Association between dental-oral health in young adults and salivary glutathione, lipid peroxidation and sialic acid levels and carbonic anhydrase activity

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between salivary oxidative stress and dental-oral health. Healthy young adults, matched for gender and age, with (N = 21, 10 men, mean age: 20.3 ± 1 years) and without (N = 16, 8 men, mean age: 21.2 ± 1.8 years) caries were included in this study. The World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria were used for determining the decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index. The oral hygiene and gingival status were assessed using the simplified oral hygiene index and gingival index, respectively. Unstimulated salivary total protein, glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation and total sialic acid levels, carbonic anhydrase activity, and salivary buffering capacity were determined by standard methods. Furthermore, salivary pH was measured with pH paper and salivary flow rate was calculated. Simplified oral hygiene index and gingival index were not significantly different between groups but DMFT scores were significant (P < 0.01). Only, GSH values were significantly different (P < 0.05) between groups (2.2 and 1.6 mg/g protein in young adults without caries and with caries, respectively). There was a significant negative correlation between DMFT and GSH (r = -0.391; P < 0.05; Pearson's correlation coefficient). Our results suggest that there is an association between caries history and salivary GSH levels.

Fish oil ingestion reduces the number of aberrant crypt foci and adenoma in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer in rats

We determined the effect of fish oil (FO) ingestion on colonic carcinogenesis in rats. Male Wistar rats received 4 subcutaneous injections (40 mg/kg body weight each) of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at 3-day intervals and were fed a diet containing 18% by weight FO (N = 10) or soybean oil (SO, N = 10) for 36 weeks. At sacrifice, the colon was removed, aberrant crypt foci were counted and the fatty acid profile was determined. Intestinal tumors were removed and classified as adenoma or carcinoma. Liver and feces were collected and analyzed for fatty acid profile. FO reduced the mean (± SEM) number of aberrant crypt foci compared to SO (113.55 ± 6.97 vs 214.60 ± 18.61; P < 0.05) and the incidence of adenoma (FO: 20% vs SO: 100%), but carcinoma occurred equally in FO and SO rats (2 animals per group). The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile of the colon was affected by diet (P < 0.05): total ω-3 (FO: 8.18 ± 0.97 vs SO: 1.71 ± 0.54%) and total ω-6 (FO: 3.83 ± 0.59 vs SO: 10.43 ± 1.28%). The same occurred in the liver (P < 0.05): total ω-3 (FO: 34.41 ± 2.6 vs SO: 6.46 ± 0.59%) and total ω-6 (FO: 8.73 ± 1.37 vs SO: 42.12 ± 2.33%). The PUFA profile of the feces and liver polyamine levels did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, our findings indicate that chronic FO ingestion protected against the DMH-induced preneoplastic colon lesions and adenoma development, but not against carcinoma in rats.

Argyrophil cell density in the oxyntic mucosa is higher in female than in male morbidly obese patients

Obesity is a multifactorial disorder often associated with many important diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and other metabolic syndrome conditions. Argyrophil cells represent almost the total population of endocrine cells of the human gastric mucosa and some reports have described changes of specific types of these cells in patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome. The present study was designed to evaluate the global population of argyrophil cells of the gastric mucosa of morbidly obese and dyspeptic non-obese patients. Gastric biopsies of antropyloric and oxyntic mucosa were obtained from 50 morbidly obese patients (BMI >40) and 50 non-obese patients (17 dyspeptic overweight and 33 lean individuals) and processed for histology and Grimelius staining for argyrophil cell demonstration. Argyrophil cell density in the oxyntic mucosa of morbidly obese patients was higher in female (238.68 ± 83.71 cells/mm2) than in male patients (179.31 ± 85.96 cells/mm2) and also higher in female (214.20 ± 50.38 cells/mm2) than in male (141.90 ± 61.22 cells/mm2) morbidly obese patients with metabolic syndrome (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). In antropyloric mucosa, the main difference in argyrophil cell density was observed between female morbidly obese patients with (167.00 ± 69.30 cells/mm2) and without (234.00 ± 69.54 cells/mm2) metabolic syndrome (P = 0.001). In conclusion, the present results show that the number of gastric argyrophil cells could be under gender influence in patients with morbid obesity. In addition, gastric argyrophil cells seem to behave differently among female morbidly obese patients with and without metabolic syndrome.

Analysis of heart rate control to assess thermal sensitivity responses in Brazilian toads

In anurans, changes in ambient temperature influence body temperature and, therefore, energy consumption. These changes ultimately affect energy supply and, consequently, heart rate (HR). Typically, anurans living in different thermal environments have different thermal sensitivities, and these cannot be distinguished by changes in HR. We hypothesized that Rhinella jimi (a toad from a xeric environment that lives in a wide range of temperatures) would have a lower thermal sensitivity regarding cardiac control than R. icterica (originally from a tropical forest environment with a more restricted range of ambient temperatures). Thermal sensitivity was assessed by comparing animals housed at 15° and 25°C. Cardiac control was estimated by heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate complexity (HRC). Differences in HRV between the two temperatures were not significant (P=0.214 for R. icterica and P=0.328 for R. jimi), whereas HRC differences were. All specimens but one R. jimi had a lower HRC at 15°C (all P<0.01). These results indicate that R. jimi has a lower thermal sensitivity and that cardiac control is not completely dependent on the thermal environment because HRC was not consistently different between temperatures in all R. jimi specimens. This result indicates a lack of evolutive trade-offs among temperatures given that heart rate control at 25°C is potentially not a constraint to heart rate control at 15°C.

Composição, digestibilidade protéica e desaminação em cultivares brasileiras de soja submetidas à radiação gama

A soja é reconhecidamente um alimento rico em proteínas e lipídios e sua inclusão na alimentação humana no Brasil tem se tornado cada vez maior. Devido à importância comercial e nutricional da soja, possíveis alterações promovidas por métodos de conservação aplicados a ela devem ser estudadas. O presente trabalho visa avaliar a composição química, a digestibilidade in vitro de proteínas e a porcentagem de desaminação de grãos de cinco diferentes cultivares de soja (BRS 212, BRS 213, BRS 214, BRS 231 e E48) submetidas à irradiação (doses de 2, 4 e 8 kGy). Dentro da composição química foram encontrados valores para cinza que variaram de 4,90 a 6,08%, para proteína de 21,23 a 36,99%, para lipídeos de 19,22 a 24,84%, para fibras solúveis de 1,37 a 4,03% e para fibras insolúveis de 15,97 a 18,87%. A porcentagem de desaminação nas diferentes amostras variou de 17,34 a 57,79% e a digestibilidade in vitro de 84,45 a 89,11%. O tratamento de irradiação nas doses utilizadas não promoveu alterações na composição centesimal e na digestibilidade, mas promoveu aumento na porcentagem de desaminação das amostras conforme aumento das doses.

Etelä-Savon maaseudun kehittämissuunnitelman 2014–2020 ennakkoarviointi

Ennakkoarvioinnin keskeisenä tavoitteena oli selvittää Etelä-Savon maaseudun kehittämissuunnitelman 214-2020 vastaavuutta Etelä-Savon maaseutustrategiaan, Manner-Suomen maaseudun kehittämisohjelmaan sekä päättyneen ohjelmakauden kehittämissuunnitelman väliarvioinnin havaintoihin. Kehittämissuunnitelma perustuu alueen maaseutustrategiaan, jota toteutetaan valtakunnallisessa kehittämisohjelmassa määriteltyjen toimenpiteiden avulla. Etelä-Savon ELY-keskuksen tilaaman maaseudun kehittämissuunnitelman ennakkoarvioinnin toteuttivat Suomen Aluetutkimus FAR ja TK-Eval Ay. Ennakkoarvioinnissa todetaan, että kehittämissuunnitelman tavoitteet ovat sisällöltään hyvin yhdensuuntaisia alueen maaseutustrategian kanssa. Maaseutustrategiassa on kolme painopistettä: 1) vahvistetaan maaseudun elinvoimaisuutta edistäviä rakenteita, 2) parannetaan ihmisten hyvinvointia maaseudulla ja 3) kehitetään maaseudun elinkeinoja. Arvioinnin mukaan suunnitelmassa on eniten toimenpiteitä maaseudun elinkeinojen kehittämiseksi, erityisesti yritysten kilpailukyvyn parantamiseksi. Kehittämissuunnitelmassa on otettu käyttöön kaikki Manner-Suomen maaseudun kehittämisohjelmaan kuuluvat toimenpiteet ja vastaavuutta löytyy valtakunnallisen ohjelman tavoitteisiin. Näin ollen edellytykset kehittämissuunnitelman toteutuksen vaikuttavuudelle ovat olemassa. Vaikuttavuuden parantaminen on puolestaan kiinni siitä, mihin tavoitteisiin alueella panostetaan ja miten eri kehittämistoimenpiteitä otetaan käyttöön. Arviointitehtävään sisältyi myös ohjelmakauden 2007–2013 väliarvioinnin keskeisten tulosten ja havaintojen huomioiminen kehittämissuunnitelmassa. Ennakkoarvioinnin mukaan ne suositukset, joihin kehittämissuunnitelman kautta voitiin vaikuttaa, oli huomioitu hyvin. Arvioinnin lopussa tarkasteltiin Etelä-Savon maaseudun kehittämissuunnitelman tarve- ja asiakaslähtöisyyttä, viestintää ja tiedottamista, yhteensovitusta muiden ohjelmien ja toimijoiden kanssa sekä suunnitelman ohjelmallisuutta.

Hyviä kysymyksiä hyvän työnteon tavoitteluun

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Aplicação da biologia molecular na abordagem da síndrome de Bartter: relato de caso

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo mostrar a utilidade da biologia molecular para o diagnóstico da síndrome de Bartter (SB) por meio do relato de caso de duas irmãs e propor um algoritmo para abordagem molecular dessa síndrome. Os dois casos relatados apresentaram prematuridade, gestação complicada com poli-hidrâmnio e baixo peso ao nascer. Durante o primeiro ano de vida, as crianças apresentaram poliúria, polidipsia e atraso no crescimento, o que levou à investigação de doenças tubulares renais e erros inatos do metabolismo. Os exames laboratoriais sugeriram SB, mas a confirmação diagnóstica só foi obtida pela detecção de mutação em homozigose no exon 5 do gene KCNJ1, resultando em substituição do aminoácido alanina por valina no códon 214 (A214V) nas duas fitas de DNA nas duas irmãs e de mutação em heterozigose em seus pais. O diagnóstico de certeza da SB muitas vezes é difícil de ser obtido. Dessa forma, por meio dos casos relatados, mostrou-se a utilidade de métodos moleculares para o diagnóstico de certeza da SB, e foi proposto um algoritmo para a utilização racional dessas técnicas.

Aliupseerioppilaiden tavoiteorientaation yhteys opintomenestykseen jalkaväen aliupseerikurssilla Kainuun prikaatissa

Tavoiteorientaatio tarkoittaa yksilön taipumusta valita tiettyjä tavoitteita ja lopputuloksia. Tämä orientaatiotaipumus tulee esille oppimis- ja suoritustilanteissa erilaisina lähestymistapoina. Tavoiteorientaatiotutkimuksen lähtökohtana onkin pyrkimys ymmärtää ja ennustaa yksilöllisiä vaihteluita suorituskäyttäytymisessä. Tässä tutkimuksessa mielenkiinnon kohteena on tavoiteorientaatioteorian suuntaus, jossa tutkitaan tavoiteorientaatioiden ja opintomenestykse välistä yhteyttä. Tavoiteorientaatioiden on todettu olevan yhteydessä suorituksiin ja oppimistuloksiin. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää aliupseerioppilaiden tavoiteorientaation yhteys oppimistuloksiin jalkaväen aliupseerikurssila Kainuun prikaatissa. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa selvitettiin ennustaako jonkin tavoiteorientaation voimakkuus henkilön valintaa reserviupseerikurssille. Tutkimuksen päämääränä oli tuoda lisätietoa varusmieskoulutukseen osana johtamisen ja sotilaspedagogian tutkimusta. Tutkimuksen kohdejoukkona olivat saapumiserän 214 tiedustelulinjan oppilaat (N=38). Kvantitatiivinen aineisto muodostui tutkittavien tavoiteorientaatioista sekä aliupseerikurssin ensimmäisen jakson loppuarvioinnin mukaisista arvosanoista. Orientaatioita mitattiin Niemivirran (2002) kehittämällä kysymyssarjalla, jossa tavoitteita tarkastellaan viiden tavoiteorientaation järjestelmänä: (1) oppimisorientaatio, (2) Menestysorientaatio, (3) suoritus-lähestymisorientaatio, (4) suoritus-välttämisorientaatio ja (5) välttämisorientaatio. Aineiston analysointiin käytettiin regressioanalyysiä sekä Mann-Whitneyn U-testiä. Tulokset analysoitiin SPSS- sovellusta käyttäen lineaarisella regressioanalyysillä ja Mann-Whitneyn U-testillä. 5 Tulosten perusteella tavoiteorientaatioilla on yhteys ainoastaan johtamistaidon oppimistuloksiin. Muiden opintokokonaisuuksien yhteyksiä ei regressiomalleissa havaittu. Oppimis- ja menestysorientaatiot vaikuttivat voimakkaasti muissa paitsi liikuntakoulututuksen tuloksissa. Huomioitavaa on, että oppimisorientaatio vaikutti negatiivisesti kaikilla osa-alueilla. Johtamistaidon regressiomallissa ainut tilastollisesti merkitsevä muuttaja oli menestysorientaatio. Tavoiteorientaatioilla voidaan siis jossakin määrin ennustaa johtamistaidon oppimistuloksia ja siten koko kurssimenestystä. Reserviupseerikurssille pääsyä selitti menestysorientaatio, jonka painottumisella oli melkein merkitsevä yhteys valintaan. Aikaisemmat tavoiteorientaatiotutkimukset osoittavat, että oppimisorientaatiot ovat tuottavampia kuin suoritusorientaatiot. Tässä tutkimuksessa menestysorientaatio tuki tätä käsitystä, samoin välttämisorientaatioiden heikompi kurssimenestys. Tutkimuksen keskeisimpänä johtopäätöksenä on, että korkeiden arvosanojen tavoittelu korostaa menestysorientaatiota aliupseerikurssin opinnoissa. Kurssin painokertoimilla ja tavoitteilla voidaan merkittävästi vaikuttaa oppimiseen ja oppimisstrategioiden valintaan. Sopivasti asetetut koulutustavoitteet sekä yksilöllisempi viestintä todennäköisesti tukisi oppimisorientoituneiden henkilöiden kurssimenestystä. Löydettyihin yhteyksiin sekä selittäviin tekijöihin on tutkimusaineiston rajallisuudesta johtuen suhtauduttava tietyllä varauksella. Tulosten luotettavuuden lisäämiseksi tutkimusta on syytä jatkaa laajemmalla aineistolla, pidemmällä tarkasteluvälillä sekä metodologisen triangulaation avulla.

Componentes do rendimento, teores de isoflavonas, proteínas, óleo e qualidade de sementes de soja

A soja, além de ser utilizada na alimentação animal vem sendo incluída na alimentação humana, pois possui na sua composição química, proteínas, lipídios, algumas vitaminas e compostos polifenólicos, como as isoflavonas. A atividade antioxidante das isoflavonas pode ser considerada um mecanismo de garantia da qualidade das sementes, em virtude da teoria de deterioração, em detrimento da ação de radicais livres na membrana celular. Desta forma, conduziu-se um experimento durante o ano agrícola de 2004/05 em dois locais de semeadura (Maringá e Umuarama), com o objetivo avaliar os componentes de produção, a qualidade fisiológica das sementes de soja produzidas em dois locais de semeadura e determinar os seus teores de óleo, proteínas e de isoflavonas, bem como correlacionar o conteúdo de isoflavonas com os componentes de rendimento, qualidade fisiológica, teores de óleo e proteínas das sementes de soja. As cultivares estudadas foram de ciclo precoce (EMBRAPA 48 e BRS 213) e semiprecoce (BR 36, BRS 133, BRS 184 e BRS 214). Avaliou-se o rendimento e a massa de mil sementes, a qualidade das sementes por meio dos testes de germinação (primeira contagem e contagem final), tetrazólio (vigor e viabilidade) e o teor de óleo, proteínas e isoflavonas. Verificou-se que as cultivares BRS 133 e EMBRAPA 48 apresentaram os maiores conteúdos de isoflavonas, ao passo que, para a cultivar BR 36, foi constatada a menor quantidade, em ambos os locais. Para todas as cultivares avaliadas em Maringá, a germinação das sementes foi superior a 80%. A correlação entre isoflavonas e massa de mil sementes foi negativa para as duas localidades.

Equacionamento da qualidade inicial de sementes de milho e soja para aplicação no modelo de probit

Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, equacionar a qualidade inicial das sementes (Ki), utilizada no modelo de probit, para a previsão da longevidade de sementes de milho (Zea mays) e soja (Glycine max), em função do resultado dos testes iniciais de germinação e vigor. Onze lotes de sementes de diferentes cultivares de milho e de soja foram submetidos aos testes de germinação (TG), envelhecimento acelerado (TEA), frio sem solo (TF), para milho, e tetrazólio (TZ), para soja, e a testes de envelhecimento acelerado, com condições constantes do grau de umidade e da temperatura das sementes, para determinar o valor de Ki. Dados da literatura contendo resultados de testes de TEA e TF para milho e TEA e TZ para soja também foram usados nesta pesquisa. Conduziram-se análises de regressão linear simples e múltipla para equacionar: a) Ki em função de TG e TEA para milho e soja, b) TEAm (envelhecimento acelerado do milho) em função de TF; c) TEAs (envelhecimento acelerado da soja) em função de TZ. As equações obtidas foram: Ki = 0,4230 + 0,4464 TG + 0,4131 TEA TEA M = - 0,4408 + 1,214 TF TEA S = - 0,1872 + 0,9875 TZ. A equação de Ki apresentou coeficiente de determinação ajustado (r²) de 0.80 (d.p. 0.18 probit e parâmetros significantes em p < 0.01, p < 0.02 e p < 0.05, respectivamente). A equação de TEAm apresentou r² de 0.80 (d.p. 0.24 probit e parâmetros significantes em p < 0.002). A equação de TEAs apresentou r² de 0.84 (d.p. 0.18 probit e parâmetros significantes em p < 0.005). O valor de Ki pode ser equacionado em função do resultado dos testes iniciais de germinação e vigor para milho e soja (TEA ou TF para milho e TEA ou TZ para soja).

Effect of storage period on isoflavone content and physiological quality of conventional and transgenic soybean seeds

The objective in this research was to evaluate the isoflavone content and the physiological quality of seed from conventional and transgenic soybean cultivars before and after 180 days of storage. Twenty one soybean cultivars: CD 202, CD 206, CD 208, CD 213RR, CD 214RR, CD 215, CD 216, CD 217, CD 218, CD 221, BRS 184, BRS 185, BRS 214, BRS 244RR, BRS 245RR, BRS 246RR, BRS 255, BRS 257, BRS 258, BRS 261 and BRS 262, grown in the 2005/2006 crop season, were assayed. The seeds were packed in Kraft paper bags and stored at room temperature under laboratory conditions. Seeds were evaluated with respect to their germination and vigor (first germination count, accelerated aging and tetrazolium test) and their total isoflavone contents and respective aglycon forms (daidzein, genistein and glycitein),glycosides (daidzine, genistine and glycitine) and malonyl conjugates. A completely randomized block design with six replications with the treatments set out within a subplot scheme (21 cultivars x 2 storage periods) was used. The F-test was used to compare means between storage periods and the Scott-Knott test to compare cultivars for each storage period, both with a 95% probability. It was concluded that isoflavone contents differ between cultivars and show a distinct behavior throughout storage.

Opas sunnuntaikoulujen opettajille: toisen wuosikerran ewankeliumitekstien käsittelyä warten

Tekijä: Maria Erikson.

Successful new venturing process implemented by the founding entrepreneur: A case of Finnish sawmill industry

The fundamental purpose of this research is to emphasise a founding entrepreneur’s own role in the construction of a successful business story, with the focus being on the analysis of the entrepreneur’s activities. The theoretical section sheds light on the heterogeneous nature of existing performance research and, thereby, opens the way for the behavioural approach research of entrepreneurs in the field of new venture performance research. This research can be seen to be in line with the latest trends in entrepreneurship research, which question the applicability of different organisational theories in entrepreneurship research. For this reason, the founding entrepreneur has been chosen, instead of the company, to be the unit of analysis in this research in order to lighten the link in question while developing and refining new knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship. The empirical section of this research focuses on the entrepreneur’s own actions or behaviours that can be seen to be associated with the company’s success. Although some of these actions may resemble the strategic actions of a company as defined in strategic management literature, these actions taken by the entrepreneur themselves must be distinguished from the different organisational actions. Usually, an entrepreneur makes decisions rather independently, mainly on basis of their own intuition and prevailing market conditions, whereas organisational actions are very systematic, and each decision involves many different people. For this reason, an entrepreneur’s actions must be distinguished from organisational actions. In additional to different action paths, the empirical data collected for this research also offers almost unambiguous proof that the actions taken by an entrepreneur at the different stages of a company’s development do play a crucial role in the success of the companies studied in this research. In this way, it is possible to identify a significant link between the behavioural approach research of entrepreneurs and new venture performance research. Due to a lack of behavioural research into founding entrepreneurs, this research has utilised a qualitative (hermeneutic) research approach. The researcher strove to establish a particularly close connection with the entrepreneurs that were studied here and, thus, understand the actions taken at the different stages of their companies’ development as well as the motives and fundamental purposes of these actions. It would not have been possible to manage such profound data that focuses on causalities by using quantitative methods. In addition to interviews, this research used corporate histories of the companies for collecting some of the research data. These corporate histories can be considered excellent tools for the researcher to obtain a preliminary understanding and can, thereby, be seen to have laid the ground for more in-depth and diverse analyses.