Changes in nutrient and calorie intake, adipose mass, triglycerides and TNF-α concentrations after non-caloric sweetener intake: pilot study

Abstract. Establishing the safety of non-caloric sweetener consumption in humans is a difficult task, since many contradictory results have been reported. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of frequent intake of sucrose, sucralose or steviol glycosides, on selected anthropometric, biochemical and immunological parameters in healthy, young adults. 38 individuals with normal body mass index were recruited and randomly divided into three experimental groups. After a washout week (where food with added sweeteners was restricted), each group was supplemented with sucrose (8 × 5 g packets/day), sucralose or steviol glycosides (4 × 1 g packets/day each) for 6 weeks. Selected variables were measured before and after treatment in each group and differences within and among groups were assessed. Our results showed that, compared to baseline, there was a modest but significant increase in weight (p = 0.0293) in the sucralose group, while the steviol glycosides group reduced their fat mass (p = 0.0390). No differences were observed in glycaemia; however, there was a significant increase in serum triglycerides (77.8–110.8 mg/dL) and cholesterol (162.0–172.3 mg/dL) in the sucrose group, whereas the steviol glycosides group presented lower triglycerides (104.7–92.8 mg/dL) and TNF-α concentrations (51.1–47.5 pg/mL). Comparison among groups showed differences in serum triglycerides (p = 0.0226), TNF-α (p = 0.0460) and IL-β (p = 0.0008). Our results suggest that, even in a short time span, frequent intake of steviol glycosides may have positive effects on metabolic parameters that may be relevant for human health.

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Rapid tranquillisation: practice in Zambia, before and after training

International Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/s1749367600004070 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 95-97

Author(s):

Mahesh Jayaram ◽

Ranga Rattehalli ◽

Lindsay Moran ◽

John Mwanza ◽

Paul Banda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Evidence Base ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Collaborative Partnerships ◽

Inappropriate Use ◽

Short Time Span ◽

Safety Awareness ◽

Before And After ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Therapeutic Doses ◽

Short Time

The evidence base for rapid tranquillisation is small in higher-income countries but is even smaller in sub-Saharan Africa. We initiated the first ever survey on the use of rapid tranquillisation in Zambia in 2009; a further survey was then done in 2010, after a programme of teaching and training. It demonstrated an overall improvement in clinical practice, safety, awareness and use of medications within therapeutic doses. It also led to a reduction in inappropriate use of medications. These improvements in practice occurred within a short time span and with minimal effort. Further international collaborative partnerships are required to build stronger mental health infrastructure in Zambia.

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Interferon β-1b effects on cytokine mRNA in peripheral mononuclear cells in multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/135245859600100502 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 1 (5) ◽

pp. 262-269 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

PV Byskosh ◽

AT Reder

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Cytokine Mrna ◽

Serum Triglycerides ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Before And After ◽

Peripheral Mononuclear Cells ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

Polymerase Chain

IFN-β reduces the number and severity of exacerbations of multiple sclerosis (MS), presumably by modifying immune regulation. We used semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to measure mRNA levels for cytokines before and after IFN β-1b therapy. mRNA was extracted from mononuclear cells of nine healthy controls and 31 patients with MS. Before therapy, IL-10 and leukemia inhibitory factor (UF) mRNA levels were elevated in stable MS compared to active MS. Twenty four hours after IFN β-1b treatment, mRNA levels for IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α and UF had not changed. At 1 week, TNF-α mRNA increased and IL-10 and UF mRNA rose in 75% of patients. IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, IL-13 and IFN-γ did not change. At 3 months, cytokine mRNA returned to baseline levels. mRNA for the IFN-induced antiviral enzyme, 2, 5-OAS, rose by 24 h, peaked at 1 week, and remained elevated thereafter. Serum triglycerides and liver enzymes rose after therapy. Increased SGPT at 3 months correlated with TNF-α mRNA levels, suggesting that cytokines may cause some side effects of IFN β-1b. Baseline cytokine mRNA levels reflect disease activity, but the therapeutic effect of IFN β-1b does not appear to be explained by changes in cytokine mRNA levels.

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Characteristics Before and After Heat Treatment of Co-Free AB3-Type Fe Substituted Hydrogen Storage Alloys Used for Ni-MH Batteries

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.129-131.1049 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 129-131 ◽

pp. 1049-1054 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Feng Wu ◽

Min Yu Zhang ◽

Dao Bin Mu

Keyword(s):

Heat Treatment ◽

Hydrogen Storage ◽

Discharge Capacity ◽

Cycle Stability ◽

Hydrogen Storage Alloys ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Fe Content ◽

Before And After ◽

Short Time ◽

Positive Effect

In this paper, a series of hydrogen storage Co-free AB3-type alloys were directly synthesized with vacuum mid-frequency melting method, and melted alloys were treated by low temperature-short time heat annealing. XRD results indicate that the main phase of melted La0.7Mg0.3Ni3-xFex (x=0.0~0.4) alloys are LaMg2Ni9 and LaNi5 phase. After heat treatment, some LaMg2Ni9 phase transferred into LaNi3 phase because of the loss of Mg during the heat proceeding. The content of Fe element affects phase structure of alloys and led to different electrochemical properties. Heat treatment has positive effects on cycle stability of La0.7Mg0.3Ni3-xFex (x=0.0~0.4) alloys but could cause little reduction of discharge capacity of Fe substituted alloy. However, the discharge capacity of La0.7Mg0.3Ni2.8Fe0.2 alloy increased after heat treatment. The EIS results show that heat treatment has positive effect on H transfer within alloy, and Fe content is related to the diffusion coefficient of H atoms within alloys.

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EFFECTS OF AN EVIDENCEBASED DANCE PROGRAM (TANZPRO-BIODANZA®) FOR KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN AGED FOUR TO SIX ON IMMUNEGLOBULINE A, TESTOSTERONE AND HEART RATE

Problems of Education in the 21st Century ◽

10.33225/pec/13.56.128 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 128-143

Author(s):

Marcus Stueck ◽

Alejandra Villegas ◽

Cathleen Schoenichen ◽

Katrin Bauer ◽

Paul Tofts ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Process Variable ◽

Kindergarten Children ◽

Healthy Lifestyles ◽

Immune Competence ◽

Immunological Parameters ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Specific Effects ◽

Intervention Method ◽

Before And After

Present study addresses the question of the effects of the evidence based TANZPRO-Biodanza®-Program (Stueck & Villegas, 2009, Stück, 2013) based on BIODANZA by Rolando Toro and Cecilia Luzzi (Toro, 2010). TANZPRO-Biodanza® is the nonverbal part of the School of Empathy concept by Marcus Stueck (Stueck, 2013), which was developed in the project “Healthy Lifestyles in Kindergardens” of the Geman Ministry of Health (2009 until 2011). Biodanza is a contact and motion-based intervention method with auto-regulative claim on immune competence and the autonomic system of children of kindergarten age. The evaluation took ten weeks. A TANZPRO®-Biodanza class with girls aged four to six was carried out from September 2011 until December 2012. The immunological parameters immunoglobuline A and testosterone as well as the autonomic heart rate parameters were collected before and after each TANZPRO®-Biodanza sessions of the course as a process variable. Especially, the reduced testosterone levels after the meetings in the saliva of children show positive effects of the method on the immune system. The decrease of IgA levels after TANZPRO®-Biodanza in the saliva of children towards age norm might be due to an immune regulative effect. The specific effects of TANZPRO®-Biodanza on heart rate towards a mean level show improvement of physical autoregulatory processes. Key words: auto regulative immune competence, empathy, Immuneglobuline A, TANZPRO®-Biodanza, testosterone.

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Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization

Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies ◽

10.18291/njwls.129503 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Erik Vestin ◽

Patrik Vulkan

Keyword(s):

Union Membership ◽

Academic Research ◽

Cohort Differences ◽

Central Hypothesis ◽

Short Time Span ◽

General Decline ◽

Before And After ◽

Short Time ◽

Separate Cohort

Discussions of the role of cohort differences have long been part of academic research on union membership, with a central hypothesis being that the general decline in unionization is caused by changes toward more individualistic values in the younger generations. However, the short time span of most studies makes it uncertain if they can separate cohort effects from age effects. Using survey data going back to 1956, we test the individualization hypothesis. Our main result is that later Swedish cohorts are indeed less prone to join unions. In particular, the differences between cohorts born before and after ca 1970 are striking. We also provide evidence that the erosion in union membership in Sweden is not related to changes toward more individualistic values in later cohorts, or even to more negative views of unions per se.

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Rapid mapping of landslides by Deep-Learning of combined optical and SAR data

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13181 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lorenzo Nava ◽

Filippo Catani ◽

Oriol Monserrat

Keyword(s):

Deep Learning ◽

Cloud Cover ◽

Optical Data ◽

Rapid Mapping ◽

Optical Images ◽

Short Time Span ◽

Before And After ◽

Comparable Accuracy ◽

Sar Data ◽

Short Time

<div> <p><span>In the world, various natural calamities, like earthquakes and massive rainfalls sometimes combined with windstorms, can trigger multiple landslide events that can occur in groups of hundreds to thousands in a region, over a short time span. Therefore, there is a growing need to be able to intervene quickly to accurately map the impacted areas. To this end, VHR optical images ensure best performances in terms of spatial accuracy but, for rapid mapping, they present limitations due to the possible presence of cloud cover as, often, the first cloudless image is available with an unacceptable time delay, see, e.g., the cases of strong earthquakes of Chile 2017, Nepal 2015 and Ecuador 2016. A possible solution may stand in the combined exploitation of optical and SAR data. In this study, deep-learning convolution neural networks (CNNs) techniques have been used to compare and combine the mapping and classification performances of optical images (from Sentinel-2) and SAR images (from Sentinel-1). The training and test zones used to independently evaluate the performance of CNNs on different datasets are located in the eastern Iburi subprefecture in Hokkaido, where, at 03.08 local time (JST) on September 6, 2018, a Mw 6.6 earthquake triggered about 7837 coseismic landslides. We analyzed the conditions before and after the earthquake exploiting SAR and optical data by means of a series of CNNs implemented in Python that point out the locations where the&#160;<em>Landslide</em>&#160;class is predicted as more likely. As expected, the CNN run on optical images proved itself excellent for the landslide detection task, achieving an overall accuracy of 98.48% while a CNN based on the combination of ground range detected (GRD) data (SAR) achieved an overall accuracy of 95.54%. Despite this, the integrated use of SAR data allows for a rapid mapping even during storms and under cloud cover and seems to provide a comparable accuracy than optical change detection. We believe that, in the near future, such classification accuracy might even increase with the availability of new, VHR SAR products, such as the 50 cm x 50 cm resolution imagery from the Capella-2 satellite.</span></p> </div>

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Effects of a 6-Week Straw Phonation in Water Exercise Program on the Aging Voice

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 1018-1032

Author(s):

Chia-Hsin Wu ◽

Roger W. Chan

Keyword(s):

Acoustic Analysis ◽

Vocal Tract ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Control Group ◽

Perceptual Evaluation ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Aging Voice ◽

Before And After

Purpose Semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises with tubes or straws have been widely used for a variety of voice disorders. Yet, the effects of longer periods of SOVT exercises (lasting for weeks) on the aging voice are not well understood. This study investigated the effects of a 6-week straw phonation in water (SPW) exercise program. Method Thirty-seven elderly subjects with self-perceived voice problems were assigned into two groups: (a) SPW exercises with six weekly sessions and home practice (experimental group) and (b) vocal hygiene education (control group). Before and after intervention (2 weeks after the completion of the exercise program), acoustic analysis, auditory–perceptual evaluation, and self-assessment of vocal impairment were conducted. Results Analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between the two groups in smoothed cepstral peak prominence measures, harmonics-to-noise ratio, the auditory–perceptual parameter of breathiness, and Voice Handicap Index-10 scores postintervention. No significant differences between the two groups were found for other measures. Conclusions Our results supported the positive effects of SOVT exercises for the aging voice, with a 6-week SPW exercise program being a clinical option. Future studies should involve long-term follow-up and additional outcome measures to better understand the efficacy of SOVT exercises, particularly SPW exercises, for the aging voice.

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Evaluation of Metal Contents in Correlation with Phytosanitary Treatments at Vineyard

Revista de Chimie ◽

10.37358/rc.17.6.5659 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (6) ◽

pp. 1289-1293

Author(s):

Oana Mihai ◽

Octav Pantea ◽

Daniela Roxana Popovici ◽

Catalina Gabriela Gheorghe

Keyword(s):

Soil Samples ◽

Flame Atomic Absorption ◽

Mobile Forms ◽

Before And After ◽

Phytosanitary Treatment ◽

Zinc Concentrations ◽

Zinc Levels ◽

Ph Range ◽

In The Beginning ◽

Short Time

The present work aims with the evaluation of copper, manganese and zinc concentrations (mobile forms) from vineyard soil before and after phytosanitary treatment with Curzate Manox and Dithane M-45 compounds, during and after remanence period. Different vineyard soils types were collected at 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depths. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS) method was used for measurements of the micronutrients. The soil samples were analyzed after 5 and 21 days after treatment application. Since copper is mainly accumulates in the upper layer following fungicidal sprays application, high levels of copper concentrations are obtained. The soil samples exhibits different behavior in terms of manganese and zinc contents. Manganese and zinc levels are classified as medium in the beginning of the experiment (Mn-M0 and Zn-M0), whereas these levels increased in the soil samples (at moments M1- 5 days and M2- 21 days after treatment). This behavior can be due to the Mancozeb decomposition, knowing that Mancozeb decomposes in the pH range 5-9 and it remains short time into the soil.

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Melatonin Improves Erythropoietin Hyporesponsiveness via Suppression of Inflammation

Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials ◽

10.2174/1574887114666190528120357 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 203-208

Author(s):

Evan Noori Hameed ◽

Haydar F. Hadi AL Tukmagi ◽

Hayder Ch Assad Allami

Keyword(s):

Iron Status ◽

Transferrin Saturation ◽

Control Group ◽

Base Line ◽

Inadequate Response ◽

Inflammatory Parameters ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Before And After ◽

And Control ◽

Controlled Clinical Study

Background: Inadequate response to Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents (ESA) despite using relatively larger doses regimen represents a potential risk factor of Cardiovascular (CV) related mortality in addition to health-care economic problems in anemic patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Erythropoietin (EPO) hyporesponsiveness related to inflammation has been increased progressively. Melatonin is well known as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Therefore, the current study was designed to evaluate whether melatonin could improve anemic patients response to EPO. Methods: This single controlled clinical study was carried out in 41 CKD patients with hemoglobin (Hb) levels less than 11g/dl divided randomly in a 1:1 ratio into 2 groups; treatment group who received 5mg melatonin plus their regular treatments and control group who received their regular treatments only. Hematological and iron status parameters include Hb level, serum iron (S. iron), Transferrin Saturation Ratio (TSAT) and serum ferritin (S. ferritin) in addition to inflammatory parameters that include tissue necrotic factor alfa (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) determined before and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results: Melatonin remarkably increases the Hb level with a significant increase in S. iron and TSAT compared to baseline. The elevation of S. iron and TSAT was significantly higher in the melatonin group. Additionally, all inflammatory markers estimated were reduced significantly by melatonin compared to base line and control group. Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that melatonin has an advantageous effect on improving EPO response in anemic patients with CKD.

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