Study on application of biocellulose-based material for cheese packaging.

Bacterial cellulose (BC, biocellulose) is a natural polymer of microbiological origin that meets the criteria of a biomaterial for food packaging. The aim of the research was to obtain biocellulose and test its chemical as well as physical characterization as a potential packaging for Dutch-type cheeses. Four variants of biocellulose-based material were obtained: not grinded and grinded variants obtained from YPM medium (YPM-BCNG and YPM-BCG, respectively) and not grinded and grinded variants from acid whey (AW) (AW-BCNG and AW-BCG, respectively). It was demonstrated that AW-BCNG exhibited the highest thermostability and the highest degradation temperature (348 °C). YPM-BCG and YPM-BCNG demonstrated higher sorption properties (approx. 40 %) compared to AW-BCG and AW-BCNG (approx. 15 %). Cheese packaged in biocellulose (except for YPM-BCNG) did not differ in water, fat, or protein content compared to the control cheese. All of the biocellulose packaging variants provided the cheeses with protection against unfavourable microflora. It was demonstrated that cheeses packaged in biocellulose were characterized by lower hardness, fracturability, gumminess, and chewiness than the control cheese sample. The results obtained indicate that BC may be a suitable packaging material for ripening cheeses, which shows a positive impact on selected product features.

[Constellations of findings and derived treatment interventions in telemedical monitoring of patients with heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia or increased risk for sudden cardiac death : Recommendations of the working group 33 telemonitoring of the German Cardiac Society]. / Befundkonstellation und abgeleitete Behandlungsinterventionen bei telemedizinisch überwachten Patienten mit Herzinsuffizienz, Herzrhythmusstörungen oder erhöhtem Risiko für den plötzlichen Herztod : Empfehlungen der Arbeitsgruppe 33 Telemonitoring der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie, Herz- und Kreislaufforschung e. V.

The specification of standard operating procedures (SOPs) is a basic requirement for a successful implementation of telemonitoring with implanted cardiac devices and with external measuring devices in patients with heart failure, cardiac arrhytmia or increased risk of sudden cardiac death. The following article summarizes the possibilities of telemonitoring from a technical and organizational point of view and descibes basic requirements on SOPs. these basic requirements should be further specified and anchored in the organizational structure of the individual telemonitoring concept. Moreover, they should de understood as a basic guideline fpr the actions of telemonitoring center (TMC) employees.

[Position paper telemonitoring : From the Nucleus Members of the AG33 Telemonitoring of the DGK and associated members]. / Positionspapier Telemonitoring : Von den Nukleusmitgliedern der AG33 Telemonitoring in der DGK und assoziierten Mitgliedern.

The position paper of the working group 33/Telemonitoring in the German Society for Cardiology e. V. (DGK) discusses the importance of digital solutions in the German health care system and highlights the application possibilities and potentials of telemonitoring in the treatment of patients with cardiac diseases. In addition to telemonitoring of acute ischaemic diseases, acute coronary syndrome and acute cardiac arrhythmias, telemonitoring of chronic cardiac diseases is discussed. Chronic diseases, such as chronic heart failure, are age-associated and present society with the great challenge of providing high-quality, yet cost-efficient care to an increasing number of patients in the future. Telemonitoring offers an opportunity to meet this challenge. However, the introduction of telemonitoring and the associated changes for patients, doctors and other service providers must be accompanied by measures to ensure the acceptance of telemonitoring and the secure handling of sensitive data as well as the quality of telemonitoring services.

Drying Kinetics and Quality of Dehydrated Cranberries Pretreated by Traditional and Innovative Techniques.

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of traditional and combined pretreatment on dehydration kinetics and quality of dried swamp cranberries. Fruits were blanched, cut, or treated by combined technique consisting of blanching and application of pulsed electric field. Afterwards, fruits were subjected for osmotic dehydration (OD; 72 hr) in 61.5% sucrose solution or in ternary solution consisting of 30% sucrose with 0.1% addition of steviol glycosides to ensure similar sweetness of both mixtures. In the case of samples treated by combined method, OD was enhanced during first 30 min by sonication. Partially dehydrated cranberries were air dried at 70 °C. The quality of dehydrated fruits was assessed by the means of phenolics content, anthocyanin content, flavonoid content, vitamin C content, water activity, and color. Blanching decreased drying time by 48% to 50% in comparison to cutting. Utilization of combined method reduced drying time of cranberries up to 55% in comparison to cut samples. Water activity of all samples was below 0.6. Blanched samples or blanched and then treated with pulsed electric field and ultrasound contained more anthocyanins and flavonoids and less sucrose than cut samples. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: According to current trends in food and beverage industry, consumers seek for products which does not contain excessive amounts of sugars, salt, or fats. Dried cranberry fruits are rich in bioactive compounds and need to be osmotically dehydrated in sugar solutions to make the taste of the final product acceptable. Osmotic dehydration is also carried out to decrease time of drying, which is one of the most energy intensive processes. Therefore, there is a need to develop a technology with potential to maintain the bioactive compounds, reduce sugar content in comparison to traditionally process fruits, and enhance the kinetics of drying.

[Basic structural features of a cardiac telemedicine center for patients with heart failure and implanted devices, cardiac arrhythmias, and increased risk of sudden cardiac death : Recommendations of the working group 33 Telemonitoring of the German Cardiac Society]. / Grundlegende Strukturmerkmale eines kardiologischen Telemedizinzentrums für Patienten mit Herzinsuffizienz und implantierten Devices, Herzrhythmusstörungen und erhöhtem Risiko für den plötzlichen Herztod : Empfehlungen der Arbeitsgruppe 33 Telemonitoring in der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie, Herz- und Kreislaufforschung e. V.

Heart failure is one of the most common diseases. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Since heart failure is age-associated, the number of patients with heart failure is constantly increasing. At the same time, the imbalance between the need for treatment and the provision of care is growing. Telemonitoring/telemedicine offers patients in rural or remote areas access to high-quality health care and enables fast access to specialists. The working group 33 Telemonitoring of the German Cardiac Society describes the characteristics and possible applications of telemonitoring/telemedicine in the treatment of patients with heart failure. Furthermore, quality criteria for cardiological telemedicine centres are defined. In addition to the personnel structure of a telemedicine centre and the competencies of employees, requirements for the technical infrastructure and the management of incoming data and alarms are described.

[The telemedical service centre as an essential element of the conceptual approach for telemonitoring of cardiac patients : Requirements on the service, quality, and technical realization of telemonitoring]. / Das Telemedizinische Zentrum als essenzieller Baustein konzeptioneller Ansätze zum Telemonitoring kardialer Patienten : Anforderungen an Leistungen, Qualität und technische Umsetzung von Telemonitoring.

Telemonitoring as part of a treatment strategy supports and facilitates the monitoring, disease management and education of patients with heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Therefore, telemonitoring affects quality and success of the therapy. Thus, meeting the needs of the patients and of the involved health care professionals is important for the success of the telemonitoring service. Moreover, a high quality of the service has to be ensured. The following article describes several configuration options for telemonitoring services considering technical as well as quality- and service-related aspects.

Blood metabolic response to a long-term wheelchair rugby training.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with comparison group. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of long-term wheelchair rugby (WR) training on lipid profile, blood antioxidant status and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level. SETTING: Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland. METHODS: Thirty-two males with chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) assigned into the physically active 'low-point' (LP, n=15) or 'high-point' (HP, n=8) WR players groups and the sedentary manual wheelchair users (SED, n=9) participated in this study. Fasting blood samples were collected at rest for assessment of activities of antioxidant enzymes, concentrations of reduced glutathione, uric acid, malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid profile measures and BDNF. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in anthropometric measures and serum lipid profile indices, although a slight tendency toward higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was evidenced in WR players. Significantly lower serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and significantly higher levels of the overall enzymatic antioxidant potential index (EAP) in WR players, compared with SED, may reflect some WR training-induced increase in the blood's antioxidant capacity. There was also a slight tendency toward higher serum BDNF level in WR players compared with the SED group and a significant positive association between years of WR training and the BDNF level. CONCLUSION: A voluntary participation in a long-term WR training program has several health promoting outcomes for individuals with chronic SCI. Among the most important are enhancement of the blood antioxidant defense capacity evidenced by lower MDA and higher EAP levels, as well as WR training-induced activation of BDNF signaling.

[The "Recommendations for the structure of cardiac pacemaker and defibrillator therapy"--what can they achieve?: Implementation of the concept paper for HSM/ICD therapy]. / Die "Empfehlungen zur Strukturierung der Herzschrittmacher- und Defibrillatortherapie"--was können sie leisten?: Umsetzung Strukturpapier HSM/ICD-Therapie.

Implantable devices in cardiac electrophysiology have developed from simple machines that prevent bradycardia to complex systems that treat malignant tachyarrhythmias and severe heart failure. Optimal therapeutic utilization of these systems requires profound knowledge of those who treat patients with devices. To account for that, the German Cardiac Society has published "Recommendations for the structure of cardiac pacemaker and defibrillator therapy" to achieve an expertise in 2 levels. These define topics for interdisciplinary education to ensure implantation and follow-up of high quality, as well as infrastructural requirements such as staff and operation rooms. The implementation of these guidelines offers a great opportunity for good quality in device therapy and may enhance the results of the compulsory German quality registry of the respective institution. The established courses of the German Cardiac Society to achieve competence in pacemaker and ICD therapy according to the curricula should be complemented by practical training in accredited centers. Minimum numbers for implantation and follow-up are necessary to ensure a continuously high quality.

[Training requirements for transvenous implantation of pacemakers and cardioverter-defibrillators]. / Empfehlungen zur strukturierung der herzschrittmacher- und defibrillatortherapie.

Therapy with implantable pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), and devices for cardiac resynchronization (CRT) is performed by various medical and surgical specialists. With the change from implantation by thoracotomy to the transvenous approach, an increasing number of devices are implanted by cardiologists. The purpose of this paper is to establish training requirements for transvenous device therapy, implantation and follow-up examinations, regardless of the implanting person, an internist, cardiologist, general surgeon, or cardiothoracic surgeon. Epicardial lead placement should be performed only by surgeons. Two levels of training topics are defined, level 1 for pacemakers and level 2 for ICD and CRT devices. Surgery that involves the implantation of foreign material should demand the highest standards of operating rooms design and environment. Catheter laboratories used for implantations should meet operating room standards. Complications need to be documented carefully for quality control.

Emergence of tan spot disease caused by toxigenic Pyrenophora tritici-repentis in Australia is not associated with increased deployment of toxin-sensitive cultivars.

The wheat disease tan (or yellow leaf) spot, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, was first described in the period 1934 to 1941 in Canada, India, and the United States. It was first noted in Australia in 1953 and only became a serious disease in the 1970s. The emergence of this disease has recently been linked to the acquisition by P. tritici-repentis of the ToxA gene from the wheat leaf and glume blotch pathogen, Stagonospora nodorum. ToxA encodes a host-specific toxin that interacts with the product of the wheat gene Tsn1. Interaction of ToxA with the dominant allele of Tsn1 causes host necrosis. P. tritici-repentis races lacking ToxA give minor indistinct lesions on wheat lines, whereas wheat lines expressing the recessive tsn1 are significantly less susceptible to the disease. Although the emergence and spread of tan spot had been attributed to the adoption of minimum tillage practices, we wished to test the alternative idea that the planting of Tsn1 wheat lines may have contributed to the establishment of the pathogen in Australia. To do this, wheat cultivars released in Australia from 1911 to 1986 were tested for their sensitivity to ToxA. Prior to 1941, 16% of wheat cultivars were ToxA-insensitive and hence, all other factors being equal, would be more resistant to the disease. Surprisingly, only one of the cultivars released since 1940 was ToxA insensitive, and the area planted to ToxA-insensitive cultivars varied from 0 to a maximum of only 14% in New South Wales. Thus, the majority of the cultivars were ToxA-sensitive both before and during the period of emergence and spread of the disease. We therefore conclude that the spread of P. tritici-repentis in Australia cannot be causally linked to the deployment of ToxA-sensitive cultivars.

[The traumatic amputation of the forearm complicated by pneumocephalus]. / Amputacja urazowa przedramienia powiklana odma Sródczaszkowa.

The case of 37-year old man is reported who had traumatic amputation of the right forearm together with brachial plexus and cervical roots and third right rib fracture without pneumothorax. Due to a large damage of the limb replantation was dropped and only surgical elaboration of the wound was made. A few hours after the operation, dyspnoe and headache appeared. New x-ray picture showed right pneumothorax and pneumocephalus with continuing air shadow in cervical vertebral canal. In our opinion the air from pleura might go through cervical intramuscular space to the holes in dura after avulsed roots causing pneumocephalus.