Potassium Intake and Bone Health: A Narrative Review.

Potassium is a cation involved in the resting phase of membrane potential. Diets rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, and coffee have high potassium content. The shift from a pre-agriculture diet to today's consumption has led to reduced potassium intake.

Role of active and environmental tobacco smoke on susceptibility to osteoporosis in women undergoing dual-X-ray absorptiometry.

Purpose: Current smoking is a risk factor for osteoporosis (Op), but few data are available regarding the passive smoke impact on Op susceptibility. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between the smoking habits and Op in community-dwelling women undergoing dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Methods: On 01/06/2018, general practitioners from "COMEGEN" Medical Cooperative, Naples, Italy, selected the medical records from the last 10 years of women who had a measurement of bone mineral density performed and simultaneously completed a questionnaire about their smoking behaviour and their cohabiters'.

Influence of antisecretory treatment with proton pump inhibitors on serum pepsinogen I levels.

It has been reported in literature that serum pepsinogen levels rise during omeprazole and lansoprazole administration. However, the influence of pantoprazole and esomeprazole on serum pepsinogens levels is still to be assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy on pepsinogen I (PGI) levels.

Environmental inactivation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in catchment soils.

Aims: To generate field-relevant inactivation rates for Cryptosporidium oocysts in soil that may serve as parameter values in models to predict the terrestrial fate and transport of oocysts in catchments.

Methods And Results: The inactivation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in closed soil microcosms over time was monitored using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as an estimate of oocyst 'viability'. Inactivation rates for Cryptosporidium in two soils were determined under a range of temperature, moisture and biotic status regimes.

Dispersion and transport of Cryptosporidium Oocysts from fecal pats under simulated rainfall events.

The dispersion and initial transport of Cryptosporidium oocysts from fecal pats were investigated during artificial rainfall events on intact soil blocks (1,500 by 900 by 300 mm). Rainfall events of 55 mm h(-1) for 30 min and 25 mm h(-1) for 180 min were applied to soil plots with artificial fecal pats seeded with approximately 10(7) oocysts. The soil plots were divided in two, with one side devoid of vegetation and the other left with natural vegetation cover.

Methods for microbial DNA extraction from soil for PCR amplification.

Amplification of DNA from soil is often inhibited by co-purified contaminants. A rapid, inexpensive, large-scale DNA extraction method involving minimal purification has been developed that is applicable to various soil types (1). DNA is also suitable for PCR amplification using various DNA targets.

Lactoferrin: mechanism of action, clinical significance and therapeutic relevance.

Lactoferrin is an iron binding protein involved in a large spectrum of biological actions including antimicrobial actions. Lactoferrin plays a central role in ferrokinetics: it binds free iron with great affinity limiting the amount of ions available for microorganism's metabolism. Its role in the host defence mechanisms consists in bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects; moreover it inhibits the proliferation of other microbes such as fungi and viruses.

Potential problems with fluorescein diacetate assays of cell viability when testing natural products for antimicrobial activity.

There are two potential problems in the use of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) as a measure of cell viability. The first is the hydrolysis of FDA to fluorescein in the absence of live cells and the second is the quenching of fluorescence by assay solutions. We show that common media components such as tryptone, peptone and yeast extract all promote hydrolysis of FDA in the absence of live cells, as do Tris-HCl and sodium phosphate buffers.

Sphingomonas paucimobilis BPSI-3 mutant AN2 produces a red catabolite during biphenyl degradation.

The biphenyl degradation pathway of Sphingomonas paucimobilis BPSI-3 was investigated using a degradation-deficient mutant generated by 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) mutagenesis. The mutant, designated AN2, was confirmed as originating from BPSI-3 through the use of ERIC (Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus) PCR and by detection of the diagnostic pigment, nostoxanthin, in cellular methanol extracts. Mutant AN2 produced a yellow followed by red extracellular substance when grown in the presence of biphenyl.

Incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis in interferon-alpha treated and untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Objectives: To clarify the relationship between interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy and autoimmune thyroiditis in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we investigated a selected number of patients without basal thyroid dysfunctions.

Materials And Methods: 130 patients (average age: 20-70), with chronic HCV infection and without basal clinical and laboratory signs of autoimmune thyroiditis were divided into two groups: IFN-alpha treated (A) and untreated (B) patients. Group A received IFN-alpha (three million U.

Different reactivity against HCV proteins (RIBA 3) according to progression of liver damage.

Background: Aim of the study was to assess the correlation between clinical stage of HCV-related liver disease and viraemia to immune response to different viral antigens.

Methods: We considered 1330 patients with HCV chronic infection followed up from 6 months up to 6 years divided into two groups according to RIBA 3 (Abbott) response: Group I, 1231 patients with positivity for at least two bands (83 subjects with asymptomatic infection, 941 with chronic hepatitis, 201 with cirrhosis and 6 with HCC); Group II, 99 patients with positivity at only one band (45 with asymptomatic infection, 53 with chronic hepatitis and 1 cirrhotic).

Results: We noticed a major percentage of positive patients for at least three bands in more severe clinical forms (90% of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis versus 60% of asymptomatics, p < 0.

PCR amplification of crude microbial DNA extracted from soil.

A rapid, inexpensive, large-scale DNA extraction method involving minimal purification has been developed that is applicable to various soil types. DNA was extracted from 100 g of soil using direct lysis with glass beads and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) followed by polyethylene glycol precipitation, potassium acetate precipitation, phenol extraction and isopropanol precipitation. The crude extract could be used in PCR directed at high-copy number (bacterial small subunit rRNA) and single-copy (fungal beta-tubulin) genes.

Cytokine activity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. IV. Production of mRNA for IL-3 and GM-CSF by mitogen-stimulated circulating mononuclear cells.

The ability of circulating mononuclear cells from recipients of HLA identical sibling marrow transplants to generate messenger (m) RNA for the haemopoietic growth factors interleukin-3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) upon mitogen stimulation was investigated. The amount of IL-3 mRNA per ml of blood and IL-3 mRNA per 10(7) mononuclear cells as well as the amount of GM-CSF mRNA per ml of blood was significantly lower in transplant recipients than in normal volunteers. Lower values for mRNA expression for both IL-3 and GM-CSF were associated with the use of immunosuppressive therapy post transplant.