Denitrification under Pastures on Permeable Soils Helps Protect Ground Water Quality

Pastures have been implicated in ground water contamination by nitrate, especially in humid regions with thin or sandy soils (Stout et al., 2000). Significant losses can occur even under low N input, because available N from excreta patches often exceeds plant uptake capacity. Lack of evidence that appreciable nitrate leaching was occurring in established Midwestern USA pastures led us to test the hypothesis that denitrification was preventing or remediating nitrate loading. Higher denitrification rates have been found in the relatively limited number of trials since Ball & Ryden (1984) first reported the significance of this process in pastures

Pop, heavy metal and the blues: secondary analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POP), heavy metals and depressive symptoms in the NHANES National Epidemiological Survey

Persistent environmental pollutants, including heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have a ubiquitous presence. Many of these pollutants affect neurobiological processes, either accidentally or by design. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between assayed measures of POPs and heavy metals and depressive symptoms. We hypothesised that higher levels of pollutants and metals would be associated with depressive symptoms

Wybrane zwyczaje i zachowania żywieniowe studentek dietetyki Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczo-Humanistycznego w Siedlcach

Prawidłowe żywienie jest jednym z najważniejszych czynników wpływających na właściwy rozwój człowieka, stan odżywienia i utrzymanie przez niego dobrego stanu zdrowia. Młodzież akademicka jest nadmiernie obciążona obowiązkami wynikającymi z nauki, co skutkuje często zmniejszoną aktywnością fizyczną oraz nieprawidłowościami w sposobie żywienia. Studenci są zmuszeni do samodzielnego przygotowywania posiłków, najczęściej wzorując się na nawykach i zwyczajach żywieniowych wyniesionych z domu rodzinnego. Ocena zachowań żywieniowych studentek kierunku dietetyka Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczo-Humanistycznego (UPH) w Siedlcach. Anonimowe badania przeprowadzono w grupie 100 studentek kierunku dietetyka UPH w Siedlcach metodą sondażu diagnostycznego, wykorzystując autorski kwestionariusz ankiety. Uzyskane wyniki dowodzą, że studentki dietetyki dużą wagę przywiązywały do właściwego żywienia. Swój zwyczajowy sposób żywienia oceniały krytycznie, gdyż 44% ankietowanych oceniło go jako nieprawidłowy. Ponad połowa badanych deklarowała częste spożywanie produktów pełnoziarnistych oraz codzienne owoców i warzyw. Studentki preferowały chude gatunki mięs, ale najczęstszą techniką kulinarną było smażenie. Większość badanych osób spożywała rekomendowaną liczbę posiłków, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem codziennego spożywania śniadań. Stwierdzono, że najczęściej popełnianym błędem żywieniowym była niska częstotliwość spożywania nasion roślin strączkowych oraz mleka i jego przetworów.Anna Pawla

Persistent organic pollutant levels in human visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue in obese individuals - Depot differences and dysmetabolism implications

Background: The role of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with endocrine disrupting activity in the aetiology of obesity and other metabolic dysfunctions has been recently highlighted. Adipose tissue (AT) is a common site of POPs accumulation where they can induce adverse effects on human health. Objectives: To evaluate the presence of POPs in human visceral (vAT) and subcutaneous (scAT) adipose tissue in a sample of Portuguese obese patients that underwent bariatric surgery, and assess their putative association with metabolic disruption preoperatively, as well as with subsequent body mass index (BMI) reduction. Methods: AT samples (n=189) from obese patients (BMI ≥35) were collected and the levels of 13 POPs were determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (GC-ECD). Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected at the time of surgery. BMI variation was evaluated after 12 months and adipocyte size was measured in AT samples. Results: Our data confirm that POPs are pervasive in this obese population (96.3% of detection on both tissues), their abundance increasing with age (RS=0.310, p<0.01) and duration of obesity (RS=0.170, p<0.05). We observed a difference in AT depot POPs storage capability, with higher levels of ΣPOPs in vAT (213.9±204.2 compared to 155.1±147.4 ng/g of fat, p<0.001), extremely relevant when evaluating their metabolic impact. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between POP levels and the presence of metabolic syndrome components, namely dysglycaemia and hypertension, and more importantly with cardiovascular risk (RS=0.277, p<0.01), with relevance for vAT (RS=0.315, p<0.01). Finally, we observed an interesting relation of higher POP levels with lower weight loss in older patients. Conclusion: Our sample of obese subjects allowed us to highlight the importance of POPs stored in AT on the development of metabolic dysfunction in a context of obesity, shifting the focus to their metabolic effects and not only for their recognition as environmental obesogens

Pig Feeding under the Potato-green Forage Base System with or without Addition of Herbs versus a Concentrate Based System: Effect on Post-slaughter Performance and Pork Characteristics

This study examined carcass and meat quality parameters in growing/finishing pigs fed unconventionally versus the concentrate-based system. Ninety-six, 12 wk old pigs (34±SD 0.3 kg) were randomly divided into three groups, assigned to one of the three dietary treatments: standard complete concentrate mixture, conventional (C diet); unconventional, steamed potato-green forage-concentrate based diet (U diet), and unconventional basal diet+herbage mix (UH diet). Pigs fed U diet showed lower dressing percentage, meatiness, loin eye area, and weight of pork neck (p≤0.05), but their carcasses were significantly (p≤0.05) longer and had increased backfat depth (p≤0.05). There was no impact of the diet on the meat content of dry matter, crude ash, acidity, and colour parameters of m. longissimus. Unconventional feeding significantly (p≤0.05) elevated water the holding capacity of m. longissimus and slightly improved the sensory attributes analysis of meat. The addition of herbs resulted in increased loin eye area (p≤0.05), decreased fat content (p≤0.05) in m. longissimus, and tended to improve some sensory attributes of meat. There were significant gender differences in response to all diets. There were significant diet×sex interactions for some measured variables, but there were no clearly identifiable trends with regard to any specific carcass or meat parameters. Feeding unconventional diet to pigs may offer better culinary attributes of the meat, and improve some technologically important characteristics of pig carcass, but may negatively affect some carcass or meat parameters

Indoor Contamination with Hexabromocyclododecanes, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, and Perfluoroalkyl Compounds: An Important Exposure Pathway for People?

This review underlines the importance of indoor contamination as a pathway of human exposure to hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs). There is ample evidence of substantial contamination of indoor dust with these chemicals and that their concentrations in indoor air exceed substantially those outdoors. Studies examining the relationship between body burden and exposure via indoor dust are inconsistent while some indicate a link between body burdens and PBDE and HBCD exposure via dust ingestion, others find no correlation. Likewise, while concentrations in indoor dust and human tissues are both highly skewed, this does not necessarily imply causality. Evidence suggests exposure via dust ingestion is higher for toddlers than adults. Research priorities include identifying means of reducing indoor concentrations and indoor monitoring methods that provide the most ""biologically-relevant"" measures of exposure as well as monitoring a wider range of microenvironment categories. Other gaps include studies to improve understanding of the following: emission rates and mechanisms via which these contaminants migrate from products into indoor air and dust; relationships between indoor exposures and human body burdens; relevant physicochemical properties; the gastrointestinal uptake by humans of these chemicals from indoor dust; and human dust ingestion rates.</p