Alfalfa breeding to increase productivity, disease resistance

The cultivation of alfalfa varieties that are relatively resistant to the effects of negative biotic and abiotic environmental factors sharply reduces crop losses and the cost of forage. Work on the study of productivity, disease susceptibility of alfalfa, longevity, as well as the creation of a promising source material has been carried out by us for more than 30 years under natural conditions and against an artificial background, in clean sowing and in a grass mixture, on acidic soils and at normal acidity. Long-term work made it possible to identify and create in this culture sources of resistance to fusarium, brown spot with increased productivity and use them in further breeding work.

PECULIARITIES OF DETERMINING THE GASTRIC ACID SECRETION AND DIABETIC AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PANCREATITIS AND TYPE 2 DIABETES

The aim: Is to determine the peculiarities of changes in the gastric acid secretion against the background of diabetic autonomic neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Materials and methods: We investigated 64 patients with CP and T2DM, who were included in the first group of the patients examined; Group II consisted of 40 patients with T2DM; and Group III of the patients examined consisted of 34 patients with CP. Results: Differences were found in assessing the degree of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in the examined patients, namely – the most pronounced ANS dysfunction according to the Wayne questionnaire was diagnosed in patients Group I, while patients of Group III. Analysis of gastric acid secretion indicates that no patients of Group III had normal acidity. Normal acidity is more often found in the second group of subjects. Both in patients with CP and T2DM, and in isolation with CP, moderate hyperacidity was more often determined. Conclusions: The predominance of the parasympathetic division of the ANS, as well as manifestations of severe ANS dysfunction, are observed in patients with CP and T2DM. The prevalence of gastric hyperacidity on the background of DAN was established in patients with CP and T2DM. In this case, the absence of clinical symptoms or their minimal severity is determined, which indicates the lesion of the digestive tract in these patients.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE THERMAL STABILITY OF BOVINE MILK AND THE USE OF ALCOHOL TEST IN THE MILK INDUSTRY – A REVIEW

The dairy industry requires good quality milk with an adequate yield that does not affect the industrial process. Therefore, to produce safe food for consumers aiming to increase the shelf life of the product, the before mentioned industry makes use of heat treatment (pasteurization or UHT – Ultra-high Temperature processing). Milk must have adequate quality and high-temperature resistance; otherwise, thermal stability problems may occur. The alcohol or alizarin test is used in dairy farms to identify milk samples that present over the normal acidity and to measure their stability before being transported to the consumer market. Thus, the objective of this review was to search, in the literature, for evidence regarding the factors that interfere in the heat stability of milk and the use of the alcohol test. False-positive results are usual in samples that make use of that test, showing cases of unstable non-acid milk and putting in jeopardy the reliability of the results.

The Impact of Gastric Juice pH on the Intraluminal Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Infection

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can be topically eradicated in stomach lumen on endoscopic examination. The procedures of intraluminal therapy for H. pylori infection (ILTHPI) include the control of intragastric pH, mucolytic irrigation of the gastric mucosal surface, and a single-dose medicament containing antimicrobial agents. Aims: To detect gastric juice pH and evaluate its impact on the success rate of ILTHPI. Methods: We enrolled 324 patients with upper abdominal discomfort for endoscopic examinations. Among them, 13C-urea breath test was positive in 218 patients, where 100 underwent ILTHPI, and negative in 106. All patients had their gastric juice pH detected and set into three ranges, including normal acidity (pH < 4.0), low-level hypoacidity (pH 4.0–5.5), and high-level hypoacidity (pH ≥ 6.0). The impact of gastric juice pH on the success rate of ILTHPI was evaluated. Results: Distribution of pH level showed no significant difference between two groups of H. pylori-infected patients (p = 0.942). The eradication rate of ILTHPI is significantly lower in patients with gastric juice pH below 4 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Detection of gastric juice pH in ILTHPI is extremely important. Rapid control of stomach pH at or above 4 for patients prior to ILTHPI is strongly recommended. (NCT03124420).

Effect of salat (prayer) activity on salivary status and cortisol level

The majority of Indonesian people are Muslim who perform the obligatory prayers five times each day known as salat. The series of activities in salat begins with wudu with a gargle movement that increases salivary secretion through mechanical stimulation. The movement of ruku and sujood when salat causes oxygen-rich blood to flow to the brain is well suited. When a person feels calmer and more psychically relaxed after performing salat and wudu, the parasympathetic nerves increase so normal cortisol levels can secrete more saliva which is aqueous with normal acidity (pH). Oral health will affect the overall health of the body. This study aimed to determine the effect of salat and wudu on the salivary flow rate, pH, and cortisol level as an indicator of oral health. The design of this study was the static group pretest and posttest design. The study was conducted by comparing the value of salivary flow rate, pH, and cortisol levels in 20 subjects consisting of 10 subjects as the treatment group and 10 subjects as the control. Saliva was collected without stimulation before and after salat activity for five minutes, followed by measurement of salivary flow rate and pH level. Salivary cortisol level was measured using Cortisol Assay Elisa kit with λ 540 nm. The results showed an increase in salivary pH, flow rate and cortisol level after the salat activity but there was no significant difference by Kruskal-Wallis test but there was a strong correlation using Kendall’s tau_b test. In conclusion, salat activity may have correlation with an increase in salivary pH, flow rate and cortisol level.

Comparative Study for the Defluoridation of Water by Coagulation

El-Oued is known for some diseases caused by fluoride concentration in drinkable water. To reduce it, we have chosen a sample with the highest content of fluoride among many sources in order to coagulate it with Al2(SO4)3·18H2O, Fe2(SO4)3·H2O and FeSO4. In order to get better reduction yield of fluoride, a study has been done on the influencing parameters (concentration, pH, temperature) to choose the best conditions. The remove of fluoride is favorable at low concentration of Al2(SO4)3, at room temperature and normal acidity.

Compositional Changes during the Fruit Development of Two Peach Cultivars Differing in Juice Acidity

Changes in metabolites were studied during the fruit development of two greenhouse grown peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] cultivars with low acidity (`Jalousia') or normal acidity (`Fantasia'). Both cultivars had the same sucrose concentration in fruit mesocarp at maturity. In the fruit juice, pH was higher and titratable acidity was lower for `Jalousia' than for `Fantasia' from 80 days after bloom to maturity. At four different times during fruit development, in vivo 13C NMR spectroscopy was used to measure the vacuolar pH of fruit mesocarp. At 55 days after bloom, the vacuolar pH of fruit mesocarp was not significantly different between `Jalousia' and `Fantasia', whereas the juice pH was different between cultivars. The three major organic acids in fruit mesocarp were malic, citric, and quinic acids for both cultivars. Citric acid concentrations were similar in both cultivars until ≈85 days after bloom and then became significantly higher in `Fantasia'. A significantly higher concentration in malic acid in `Fantasia' than in `Jalousia' was observed from the end of the first growth phase to maturity. At maturity, `Fantasia' fruit had two and five times more malic and citric acid, respectively, than `Jalousia' fruit. The differences observed between `Jalousia' and `Fantasia' fruit for malic and citric acid concentrations accounted for the difference in titratable acidity. The differences in acid concentration appeared during the plateau between the two rapid growth phases of the fruit, i.e., far before the onset of maturation. The three major amino acids were asparagine, glutamic acid, and proline for both cultivars. Their concentration followed similar patterns in acid and low-acid fruit.

Response of the crayfish Cambarus bartonii bartonii to acid exposure in southern Appalachian streams

Intermolt adult and juvenile Cambarus bartonii bartonii (Fabricius) from southern Appalachian Mountains streams tolerated considerable acidity when acutely exposed to greatly reduced pH levels in laboratory bioassays. Tolerance increased with increasing size or age of crayfish. Ninety-six-hour exposures yielded LC50 values of pH 2.43, 2.56, and 2.85 for adults, advanced juveniles, and early juveniles, respectively. Lowering the water temperature increased the acid tolerance and survival time of intermolt adults during severe acidification (temperatures ranged from 20.2 to 13.3 °C). Acid exposure of intermolt adults in soft water up to 96 h caused a linear decrease in hemolymph [Na]. Hemolymph [Ca] increased through 48 h and then returned to near pre-exposure levels. An initial increase in [K] was followed by a decrease to slightly below pre-exposure levels. Hemolymph [Mg] remained unchanged. No Ca was lost from carapaces. These observations indicate that occasional episodes of higher than normal acidity in southern Appalachian streams are not necessarily a threat to intermolt adult and juvenile C. b. bartonii. Nevertheless, gradually increasing acidity and loss of watershed buffering capacity could produce sublethal effects such as altered reproductive activity, or changes in early life history stages and more sensitive molt cycle stages, that could damage these populations.

Responses of root systems of young Pinussylvestris and Piceaabies plants to water deficits and soil acidity

Responses of the root systems of two conifer species (Pinussylvestris L. and Piceaabies (L.) Karst.) in a strongly acidic mineral soil and in a soil with normal acidity to increasing water deficits and subsequent rewatering were examined in a growth chamber experiment. Two-year-old greenhouse seedlings were transplanted into transparent acrylic containers (rhizotrons) positioned at an angle of 45° in wooden boxes. During the 12-week test duration, the following root parameters were measured in intervals of 2 to 4 days: root elongation rate, number of growing roots, root diameter, development of root hairs, root browning, and the development of mycorrhizae. The test plants, the spruces more so than the pines, in the strongly acidic soil were limited in their ability to react to changes of the water supply. Of the examined root parameters, the root elongation rate and the number of growing roots showed the most distinct reactions.

GASTRIC RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC DISEASE IN INFANTS

1. A method of gastric analysis has been developed for the study of newborn infants. Results obtained with this method have shown it to reflect more accurately the ongoing secretory activity of the stomach. Previous methods of sampling left significant and varying amounts of acidity behind in the stomach rendering much of the available data inconclusive. 2. For the first time, gastric function has been correlated with specific disease states in the infant. 3. The volume, pH, total acidity, chloride content, and pepsin activity have been found to vary independently of one another. 4. Pneumonia and bronchiolitis, two conditions producing compromised respiratory function, were characterized by decreased total acidity, a more alkaline pH, and decreased pepsin activity. 5. Infants with short gut after bowel resection displayed highly significant increases in total gastric acidity and rate of acid formation, and a lower gastric pH. 6. Infants with acyanotic congenital heart disease showed significantly decreased pepsin content and increased chloride concentration despite normal acidity. Conversely, the few infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease studied had decreased volume of gastric juice and rate of acid formation.