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The aim of this work was to give as much information as possible on Rosa canina dried fruit that is commercially available in Serbia. In order to provide the chemical composition, the UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS method was employed for both polar and non-polar extracts of samples obtained with a solvent mixture consisting of hexane, acetone, and ethanol in a volume ratio of 2:1:1, respectively, and 0.05% ( w / v ) butylated hydroxytoluene. In addition, the total content levels of lycopene, β -carotene, total polyphenols, and flavonoids were determined by means of UV-vis spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity was tested by applying four different methods: ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC. Overall, nine compounds were identified. The results of chemical composition analysis were used as the basis for the interpretation of the calculated results for the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The obtained results for R. canina dried fruit extract are as follows: β -carotene-7.25 [mg/100 g fruit weight]; lycopene-2.34 (mg/100 g FW); total polyphenol content (TPC)-2980 [mg GAE/kg FW]; total flavonoid content (TFC)-1454 [mg CE/kg FW]; antioxidant activity-ABTS 12.3 [μmol/100 g FW], DPPH 6.84, FRAP 52.04, and CUPRAC 15,425; and antimicrobial activity- Staphylococcus aureus MIC/MMC 4/0 [mg∙mL -1 ], Enterococcus faecalis 4/0, Bacillus cereus 4/0, Escherichia coli 4/0, Salmonella enteritidis 4/4, Enteroabacter aerogenes 4/0, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2/0, and Candida albicans 2/0.

One major challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic was the limited accessibility to healthcare facilities, especially for the older population. The aim of the current study was the exploration of the extent to which the healthcare systems responded to the healthcare needs of the older people with or without cognitive impairment and their caregivers in the Adrion/Ionian region. Data were collected through e-questionnaires regarding the adequacy of the healthcare system and were anonymously administered to older individuals and stakeholder providers in the following countries: Slovenia, Italy (Calabria), Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia. Overall, 722 older people and 267 healthcare stakeholders participated in the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both healthcare stakeholders and the older population claimed that the healthcare needs of the older people and their caregivers increased dramatically in all countries, especially in Italy (Calabria), Croatia and BiH. According to our results, countries from the Adrion/Ionian regions faced significant challenges to adjust to the special needs of the older people during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was possibly due to limited accessibility opportunities to healthcare facilities. These results highlight the need for the development of alternative ways of providing medical assistance and supervision when in-person care is not possible.

The development of edible films and coatings in the food packaging industry presents one of the modern strategies for protecting food products and ensuring their freshness and quality during their shelf lives. The application of microbial polysaccharides to the development of food package materials, as an alternative option to the commonly used plastic materials, is both economic and environmentally favorable. New edible films were developed using dextran from lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides T3, and additionally plasticized by different concentrations of polyglycerol. The best tensile strength of the films was obtained using a formulation that contained 10 wt% of polyglycerol, which corresponded to a value of 4.6 MPa. The most flexible formulation, with elongation at break of 602%, was obtained with 30 wt% of polyglycerol. Water vapor permeability values of the films synthesized in this study were in the range of (3.45-8.81) ∗ 10 -12 g/m s Pa. Such low values indicated that they could be efficient in preventing fruit from drying out during storage. Thus, the film formulations were used to coat blueberries in order to assess their quality during a storage time of 21 days at 8 °C. The results showed that dextran/polyglycerol films could be efficient in extending the shelf life of blueberries, which was evidenced by lower weight loss and total sugar solids values, as well as a delay in titratable acidity, in comparison to the uncoated blueberries.

Adhesive bond strength at the composite/dentin interface is influenced by various factors, including the etching mode and composite resin type. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the total-etch and self-etch mode on the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of conventional and bulk-fill composite to dentin, using the universal adhesive system. Sixty non-carious human teeth were sectioned parallel to their longitudinal axis, using a low-speed diamond saw to obtain a flat dentin surface. According to the etching technique and composite resin type used, teeth were randomly divided into four different groups (n = 15): TC (total-etch/conventional composite), TB (total-etch/bulk-fill composite), SC (self-etch/conventional composite), and SB (self-etch/bulk-fill composite). Cylindric composite build-ups were made with 3M Filtek Z250 and 3M Filtek Bulkfill Posterior, using a plastic mold, 4 mm in diameter and 4 mm in height. The specimens were subjected to the μTBS test in a universal testing machine and failure force was recorded. Failure modes were determined using stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed using the two-way ANOVA and Student's t test. The μTBS was significantly affected by the etching technique. A significant statistical difference was determined between total-etch and self-etch groups, irrespective of the composite resin type used. Higher bond strength was obtained in total-etch groups. The μTBS was not affected by the composite resin type. No significant statistical difference was determined between the conventional and bulk-fill groups, irrespective of the etching-mode., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The aim of this study was to: (i) determine and compare the capacity of bis (2 -ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bisphenol A (BPA), and their mixture to produce testicular toxicity after the subacute exposure; (ii) explore the mechanisms behind the observed changes using in silico toxicogenomic approach. Male rats were randomly split into groups (n = 6): (1) Control (corn oil); (2) DEHP (50 mg/kg b.w./day); (3) DBP (50 mg/kg b.w./day); (4) BPA (25 mg/kg b.w./day); and (5) MIX (50 mg/kg b.w./day DEHP + 50 mg/kg b.w/day DBP + 25 mg/kg b.w./day BPA). Animals were sacrificed after 28 days of oral exposure, testes were extracted and prepared for histological assessments under the light microscope (haematoxylin and eosin staining) and redox status analysis. The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD; http://CTD.mdibl.org), Cytoscape software (https://cytoscape.org) and ToppGene Suite (https://toppgene.cchmc.org) were used for data-mining. Present pathohistological study has demonstrated more pronounced testicular toxicity of the MIX group (desquamated germinal epithelium cells, enlarged cells with hyperchromatic nuclei, multinucleated cell forms and intracytoplasmic vacuoles) in comparison with the single substances, while effects on redox status parameters were either more prominent, or present only in the MIX group. In silico investigation revealed 20 genes linked to male reproductive disorders, affected by all three investigated substances. Effects on metabolism, AhR pathway, apoptosis and oxidative stress could be singled out as the most probable mechanisms involved in the subacute DEHP, DBP and BPA mixture testicular toxicity, while the effect on oxidative stress parameters was confirmed by in vivo experiment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Thyroglobulin is a glycoiodoprotein that is produced by thyroid follicular cells; it is stored in follicles in structures known as colloids. The main function of this protein is to stock the hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) until the body requires them. This study aims to demonstrate that infrared spectral imaging with appropriate multivariate analysis can reveal biochemical changes in this glycoprotein. The results achieved herein point out biochemical differences in the colloid samples obtained from normal and goiter patients including glycosylation and changes in the secondary conformational structure. We have presented the first spectral histopathology-based method to detect biochemical differences in thyroid colloids, such as TG iodination, glycosylation, and changes in the secondary structure in normal and goiter patients. The observed changes in the colloids were mainly due to the alterations in amide I and amide II (secondary conformation of proteins) and there is a correlation with different glycosylation between normal and goiter tissues.

Background: Propolis and N-acetylcysteine have positive impact on respiratory tract health. Also, it has been suggested that they have beneficial effects on serum lipid and oxidative stress status, but the available data are limited and mostly gained from animal models. In this study we evaluated the effects of propolis and N-acetylcysteine supplementation (PropoMucil®) on lipid status, lipoprotein subclasses distribution and paraoxonase 1 activity in subjects with acute respiratory infection., Methods: Twenty subjects with acute respiratory infection were included. PropoMucil® granules for oral solution (80 mg of dry propolis extract and 200 mg of N-acetylcysteine) were administered tree times per day for ten days. Serum lipid profile, paraoxonase 1 activity and low-density and high-density lipoprotein size and subclasses distribution were assessed at baseline and after supplementation., Results: Following ten days of supplementation lipid status remained unchanged, but a significant increase of low-density lipoprotein particle size and proportion of high-density lipoprotein 3a particles were found (P<0.05). Moreover, supplementation with PropoMucil® significantly improved high-density lipoprotein particles distribution, particularly in those who smoke. There was a moderate increase of paraoxonase 1 activity, but without statistical significance., Conclusions: The presented study demonstrated that short-term supplementation with PropoMucil® has beneficial effects on low-density and high-density lipoprotein subclasses distribution and paraoxonase 1 activity in subjects with acute respiratory infection particularly in those who smoke., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors stated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (2020 Jelena Vekić, Jasmina Ivanišević, Aleksandra Zeljković, Vesna Spasojević-Kalimanovska, Nataša Bogavac-Stanojević, Marija Mihajlović, Jelena Janać, Sanja Vujčić, Milica Miljković, Dejan Zujović, Jelena Kotur-Stevuljević, published by CEON/CEES.)

The aim of this review was to summarize the data regarding diversity of non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) isolated from various artisanal dairy products manufactured in Western Balkan Countries. The dairy products examined were manufactured from raw cow's, sheep's or goat's milk or mixed milk, in the traditional way without the addition of commercial starter cultures. Dairy products such as white brined cheese, fresh cheese, hard cheese, yogurt, sour cream and kajmak were sampled in the households of Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. It has been established that the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from raw milk artisanal dairy products is extensive. In the reviewed literature, 28 LAB species and a large number of strains belonging to the Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc and Weissella genera were isolated from various dairy products. Over 3000 LAB strains were obtained and characterized for their technological and probiotic properties including: acidification and coagulation of milk, production of aromatic compounds, proteolytic activity, bacteriocins production and competitive exclusion of pathogens, production of exopolysaccharides, aggregation ability and immunomodulatory effect. Results show that many of the isolated NSLAB strains had one, two or more of the properties mentioned. The data presented emphasize the importance of artisanal products as a valuable source of NSLAB with unique technological and probiotic features important both as a base for scientific research as well as for designing novel starter cultures for functional dairy food., Competing Interests: Declaraction of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is repeatedly reported in colorectal cancer (CRC). Since cholesterol and vitamin D share common precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC), it would be important to explore the associations of key vitamin D metabolites and serum lipid parameters in patients with high and low grade CRC. The aim of this study was to analyze relationships between serum 25(OH)D3, 24,25(OH)2D3 and 7-DHC levels and serum lipids in patients with CRC, and to evaluate their potential for prediction of risk for development of high grade CRC., Methods: We recruited 82 patients CRC and 77 controls. 7-DHC, 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 were quantified by LC-MS/MS methods., Results: 7-DHC, 25(OH)D3 and vitamin D metabolic ratio (VDMR) were significantly lower in CRC patients than in control group (P<0.001, P<0.010, P<0.050 and P<0.050, respectively). 25(OH)D3 levels were higher in patients with grade I CRC when compared to grade II (P<0.050). All vitamin D metabolites positively correlated with total cholesterol (TC) concentration in CRC patients. 25(OH)D3 was significant predictor of increased CRC risk (P<0.010). After adjustment for TC concentration, 25(OH)D3 lost its predictive abilities. However, 25(OH)D3 remained significant predictor of poorly differentiated type of cancer (P<0.050)., Conclusions: We found significant positive association between vitamin D status and serum total cholesterol. Although low 25(OH)D3 was found to be a significant risk factor for CRC development, the obtained results primarily suggest profound impact of cholesterol level on vitamin D status in CRC. However, our results suggest that low 25(OH)D3 might independently contribute to development of poorly differentiated tumor., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors stated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (2020 Sandra Vladimirov, Aleksandra Zeljković, Tamara Gojković, Milica Miljković, Aleksandra Stefanović, Dejan Zeljković, Bratislav Trifunović, Vesna Spasojević-Kalimanovska, published by CEON/CEES.)

The increased number of available United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs indicated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have generated considerable interest and may have the potential to influence practice. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study performed from September to November 2019 to determine 1) demographic and subgroup characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed cases of acute myeloid leukemia, 2) FDA data on drugs indicated for AML approved from 1969 through November 2019, 3) measures of response from drug labels, and 4) published reports documenting the response for drugs approved before the 1979 Labeling Act. We used publicly available data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the U.S. Census Bureau. According to our estimation methods, cytarabine infused continuously for 7 days, with three short boluses of anthracycline over Days 1-3, the standard of care known as "7 + 3", continues to have the largest population benefit. The maximum cost per course of treatment for an average regimen is enasidenib for salvage therapy, estimated to be around $120,131. The minimum cost was $1,662.50 for standard 7 + 3 chemotherapy. The mean and median cost for all AML treatments was $43,784.26 and $35,083.70, respectively. While it is true that the number of available therapies approved by the FDA has increased dramatically, it is not yet clear how large of a clinical benefit we can expect to see from these new lines of therapies., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We investigated circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers pentraxin-3 (PTX3), cyclophilin A (CypA), and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF); oxidative stress; and antioxidant status markers in the patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) to better understand a relationship between inflammation and oxidative stress. We examined the impact of oxidative stress on high values of inflammatory parameters. The study included 87 patients with STEMI and 193 controls. We observed a positive correlation between PTX3 and HB-EGF (ρ = 0.24, P = .027), CyPA, and sulfhydryl (SH) groups (ρ = 0.25, P = .026), and a negative correlation between PTX3 and SH groups (ρ = -0.35, P = .001) in patients with STEMI. To better understand the effect of the examined parameters on the occurrence of high concentrations of inflammatory parameters, we grouped them using principal component analysis. This analysis identified the 4 most contributing factors. Optimal cutoff values for discrimination of patients with STEMI from controls were calculated for PTX3 and HB-EGF. An independent predictor for PTX3 above the cutoff value was a "metabolic-oxidative stress factor" comprised of glucose and oxidative stress marker prooxidant-antioxidant balance (odds ratio = 4.449, P = .030). The results show that higher PTX3 values will occur in patients having STEMI with greater metabolic and oxidative stress status values.

Metallophilic macrophages (MMs) are a distinct cell type of the rodent thymus. Our previous research has focused on the morphological characteristics of MMs, as well as on the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and tissue positioning of these cells. However, the postnatal development of MMs has not been sufficiently studied. In the present study, we investigated the positioning of MMs in the rat thymus between postnatal day 0 (P0) and P30. On P0, MMs were evenly distributed all over the thymic tissue-that is, the cortex, cortico-medullary zone and medulla. From P0 to P15, the number of MMs in the thymic cortex significantly decreased, and after P15, this number did not change. Thus, the present study shows that on P15, MMs almost completely disappear from the thymic cortex and show their adult position in the cortico-medullary zone and in the medulla., (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate metabolic changes in lipids and oxidative stress parameters in the first trimester of pregnancy with the more specific aim of estimating the significance and strength of researched parameters in the prediction of preeclampsia., Design and Methods: The study included 87 high-risk pregnant (HRG) female subjects, 14 with developed preeclampsia (PEC) and 43 healthy pregnant female subjects matched for gestational age (CG). Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) concentration, lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) and total oxidative status (TOS) were measured as oxidative stress markers, while total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was measured as an antioxidative defense parameter. The Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) was calculated as the base 10 logarithm of the ratio of the plasma concentration of triglycerides (TG) to the plasma concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), with each concentration expressed in mmol/L., Results: The results have shown that lipid indices, especially AIP, were significantly higher in the first trimester of HRG (p < 0.001) and PEC (p < 0.001). Oxidative stress parameters were significantlly higher, while TAC was significantly lower in HRG vs. CG [0.7 ± 0.15 vs 1.1 ± 0.16; (p < 0.001)] and in PEC [0.6 ± 0.12 vs 1.1 ± 0.16; (p < 0.001)] vs. CG. Also, in the HRG, results have shown an independent association of AIP with the preeclampsia development (p < 0.05), while placental growth factor did not show the expected level of significance (p = 0.648). Analysis of the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves indicated that certain parameters included in the research model have very good diagnostic accuracy for preeclampsia (AUC = 0.856)., Conclusions: AIP is associated with high-risk pregnancies. Furthermore, our results firmly underscored AIP as a potential marker for preeclampsia prediction., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A direct and an indirect relationship between paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and atherosclerosis exists. Given PON1's physical location within high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles and its recognized enzyme activity, it is certainly reasonable to suggest that PON1 facilitates the antiatherogenic nature of HDL particles. PON1 also plays a role in regulating reverse cholesterol transport, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, vasodilative, and antithrombotic activities and several endothelial cell functions. HDL dysfunctionality is a more recent issue and seems to be centered on pathological conditions affecting HDL structure and size profiles. This review is focused on the role of PON1 status in different atherosclerosis-related diseases that we have studied over the last twenty years (coronary heart disease, acute ischemic stroke, diabetes mellitus type 2, end-stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and sarcoidosis) with the aim to determine the true value of PON1 as a biomarker. The role of PON1 in cancer is also covered, as risk factors and mechanisms underlying both atherosclerosis and cancer share common features., (© 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Background: Human resistin is a proinflammatory cytokine with significant proatherogenic effects which acts through adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have increased cardiovascular risk and resistin levels. Previous studies indicated resistin significance as a predictor of mortality in CKD., Aims: We sought to investigate plasma resistin levels, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) resistin mRNA, and for the first time CAP1 mRNA levels in ESRD patients and healthy controls. We also sought to investigate the relation of resistin and CAP1 to carotid intima media thickness (CIMT), CD36 gene expression, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) circulating levels in ESRD patients and healthy controls., Methods: This study included 33 patients with ESRD and 27 healthy controls. Resistin and MMP-9 levels were measured by ELISA. Resistin, CAP1, and CD36 PBMC mRNA were measured by quantitative PCR., Results: Our study showed that ESRD patients have significantly higher levels of circulatory resistin compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in resistin mRNA. A significant upregulation of CAP1 and CD36 was observed in the ESRD group (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Resistin concentration correlated with CIMT in healthy controls (r = 0.512, p = 0.036), and with MMP-9 concentration in ESRD (r = 0.353, p = 0.044) and healthy controls (r = 0.463, p = 0.026). CAP1 correlated positively with CIMT (r = 0.464, p = 0.008) in ESRD, and with CD36 in healthy controls (r = 0.447, p = 0.022) and ESRD (r = 0.824, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The obtained data suggest that high levels of circulating resistin acting upon cells with an upregulated CAP1 gene could contribute to the increased inflammation and accelerated atherosclerosis seen in CKD patients., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The antibacterial ability of in situ prepared nanometer-sized silver particles, immobilized in agar-agar films, was studied as a function of the concentration of co-dopant, magnesium ions. Content of inorganic components in hybrid films was determined using inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectroscopy, and found to be low (<2 wt.-%). Morphology of prepared hybrid films, studied by transmission electron microscopy, revealed the presence of non-agglomerated and randomly distributed 10-20 nm silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) within the agar-agar matrices. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the distinct chemical interaction between Ag NPs and polymer chains. Thermogravimetric analysis, as well as the determination of tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break showed improvement of thermal stability and mechanical properties of agar-agar matrices upon the incorporation of Ag NPs due to high compatibility between the hydrophilic organic component and inorganic components. The complete microbial reduction of Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureuswas observed for all agar-silver films, while satisfactory results were observed for Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (≥99.6%). The release of Ag + ions is suppressed by the increase of the concentration of Mg 2+ ions and it was found to be significantly smaller (≤0.24 ppm) than the harmful ecological level (1 ppm)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Anticancer activity of Pd complexes 1-5 with bidentate N-heteroaromatic hydrazone ligands was investigated on human acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1; cells in a suspension) and human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7; two-dimensional layer and three-dimensional spheroid tumor model) cell lines. For the Pd(II) complexes with condensation products of ethyl hydrazainoacetate and quinoline-8-carboxaldehyde (complex 1) and 2-formylpyridine (complex 3), for which apoptosis was determined as a mechanism of anticancer activity, further investigation revealed that they arrest the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase, induce generation of reactive oxygen species and inhibit Topoisomerase I in vitro. In silico studies corroborate experimental findings that these complexes show topoisomerase inhibition activity in the micromolar range and indicate binding to a DNA's minor groove as another potential target. Based on the results obtained by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements, the most active complexes are suitable to be delivered to a blood stream via human serum albumin., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity in wide world population. Dyslipidemia, inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to disruption of endothelium structure and function, atherosclerosis and CAD. Our study was aimed to determine whether Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and Mn superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD) gene expression could be modulated by oxidative stress in CAD patients., Methods: This study included 77 CAD patients and 31 apparently healthy persons. Serum lipid levels, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), total antioxidant status (TAS) and thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) were measured. SOD isoenzymes gene expression was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction., Results: Mn SOD messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels were significantly lower in CAD patients than in controls (p=0.011), while Cu/Zn SOD mRNA levels did not change significantly between tested groups (p=0.091). We found significantly lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) (p<0.001) and TAS (p<0.001) levels and significantly higher hsCRP (p=0.002) and TBARS (p<0.001) in CAD patients than in controls. There were significant positive correlations between TAS and Mn SOD mRNA (ρ=0.243, p=0.020) and TAS and Cu/Zn SOD mRNA (r=0.359, p<0.001). TBARS negatively correlated only with Cu/Zn SOD mRNA (ρ=-0.215, p=0.040). TAS levels remained independent predictor for Mn SOD mRNA levels (OR=2.995, p=0.034)., Conclusions: Results of this study showed that Mn SOD gene expression were decreased in CAD patients compared to controls and can be modulated by non-enzymatic antioxidant status in blood., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Acinetobacter baumannii has been recognized as one of the most challeging pathogens in clinical settings worldwide. Outer membrane porins play a significant role in Acinetobacter antibiotic resistance and virulence. A. baumannii carbapenem resistance and virulence factor porin Omp33-36 was the subject of this study. We investigated the omp33-36 gene transcriptional response in the growth phase, its response to carbapenems, and the effect of contact with host cells. Additionally, the cytotoxic effect of A. baumannii towards keratinocytes was assessed, as well as correlation between omp33-36 gene transcription and cytotoxicity. Further, Acinetobacter spp. Omp33-36 was classified and its characteristics relevant for vaccine candidature were determined. The level of the omp33-36 gene transcription varied between growth phases, but a common pattern could not be established among different strains. Treatment with subinhibitory concentrations of carbapenems decreased, while contact with keratinocytes increased omp33-36 expression in the analysed A. baumannii strains. Variations in omp33-36 mRNA levels did not correlate with cytotoxicity levels. Decrease of omp33-36 mRNA during treatment with subinhibitory concentrations of carbapenems, indicated the importance of transcriptional changes in reversible resistance to carbapenems due to the absence of Omp33-36. The transcription of omp33-36 increased after contact with keratinocytes, indicating the important role of de novo transcription during the initial phase of A. baumannii infection. Primary structural analysis of Acinetobacter spp. Omp33-36 revealed three distinct groups (among four A. baumannii variants). Although we have shown that Omp33-36 was highly polymorphic, we propose a potential antigen (PLAEAAFL motif) for vaccine development. According to PROVEAN analysis, the highly polymorphic structure of Omp33-36 porin should not influence its function significantly., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Biomarkers of oxidative stress are relevant in the evaluation of the disease status and prooxidant-antioxidant balance, advanced oxidation protein products and lipid peroxidation products (malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal) are being extensively evaluated regarding their relationship with clinical presentation and disease severity., Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of the above-mentioned parameters in plasma of 39 men and 17 women with Parkinson's disease, originated from the Republic of Serbia and their relation to clinicopathological characteristics (gender, age at examination, duration of the disease, and Hoehn and Yahr score) and oxidative status., Results: The incidence of disease was 2:1 towards males. The investigated oxidative parameters were gender and Hoehn and Yahr related. Significant association of higher Hoehn and Yahr scores was observed for malondialdehyde (p = 0.01) and prooxidant-antioxidant balance (p = 0.02). Relation between oxidant-antioxidant status was further supported by observed positive correlation between 4-hydroxynonenal (p = 0.04) and prooxidant-antioxidant balance (p = 0.03). Finally, the multivariate analysis indicated that prooxidant-antioxidant balance and malondialdehyde were partially determined by gender (10.6% and 7.6%) and Hoehn and Yahr scores (13.6% and 18.8%), while Hoehn and Yahr scores contributed to the variance of advanced oxidation protein products with 13.2%., Conclusion: Our results indicate the higher level of oxidative stress (oxidant-antioxidant imbalance) and possible relation of several markers with gender and disease stage in patients with Parkinson's disease. The analyzed markers could be used to specify the severity of oxidative stress; however, their potential value should be analyzed in further studies.

The aim of this study was to develop dextran-based edible films plasticized by sorbitol. In order to optimise the film-forming formulation, response surface methodology was used. The influence of dextran and sorbitol concentration on the mechanical and water vapour barrier properties of obtained films was investigated. The results showed that both parameters exhibited significant effect on the water vapour permeability of a film. Both dextran and sorbitol concentration had significant influence on tensile strength and elongation at break, whereas only sorbitol concentration had significant effect on Young's modulus. After optimisation by desirability approach, it was found that a film made of 3.40 wt% of dextran and 20.43 wt% of sorbitol showed the lowest water vapour permeability and the highest tensile strength and elasticity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Inflammation, apoptosis and extracellular remodeling play significant roles in cardiovascular disease (CVD) underlying the major causes of mortality in renal patients. In 19 pre-dialysis patients, 21 dialysis patients and 20 control subjects, the concentrations of pentraxin-3, galectin-3, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were determined by ELISA. CVD risk was calculated according to the Framingham risk score algorithm. Pentraxin-3 was increased in renal patients compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). In contrast, galectin-3 was reduced in hemodialysis patients compared to pre-dialysis patients and controls (p<0.001). In addition, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were elevated in renal patients compared to controls (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). Logistic regression analyses disclosed associations of galectin-3, MMP-9, pentraxin-3 and glomerular filtration with calculated CVD risk score. Combined testing of pentraxin-3, galectin-3, MMP-9 and glomerular filtration rate can discriminate renal patients with high and low risk of a coronary event.

The main goal of the study was to explore possibility of prostate cancer prediction by machine learning techniques. In order to improve the survival probability of the prostate cancer patients it is essential to make suitable prediction models of the prostate cancer. If one make relevant prediction of the prostate cancer it is easy to create suitable treatment based on the prediction results. Machine learning techniques are the most common techniques for the creation of the predictive models. Therefore in this study several machine techniques were applied and compared. The obtained results were analyzed and discussed. It was concluded that the machine learning techniques could be used for the relevant prediction of prostate cancer.

Background: Unfavorable lipid profile presents one of most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in renal pathology. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) as enzyme which oxidizes lipoproteins and paraoxonase1 (PON1) as anti-oxidative enzyme have been involved in pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. In the present study we sought to assess oxidative stress status, lipoprotein subclasses distribution as well as functionality of high density lipoprotein (HDL) trough MPO/PON1 ratio in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and children after renal transplantation., Methods: PON1 activity and oxidative stress parameters were measured spectrophotometrically, while MPO concentration was determined using immunoassay. Separation of lipoprotein subclasses was performed by vertical gradient gel electrophoresis in 19 children with different stage of CKD and 19 post-transplantation patients (PT)., Results: CKD patients had increased MPO/PON1 ratio and higher prevalence of smaller HDL subclasses when compared to PT subjects. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between MPO level and MPO/PON1 ratio with relative proportion of smaller HDL subclasses., Conclusion: Children with CKD have impaired HDL distribution that is improved after kidney transplantation. Since that measurement of HDL distribution and functionality are not routinely available, MPO/PON1 ratio may be useful marker that could provide necessary information., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

The understanding of mechanisms of interactions between various bacterial cell surface proteins and host receptors has become imperative for the study of the health promoting features of probiotic enterococci. This study, for the first time, describes a novel enterococcal aggregation protein, AggE, from Enterococcus faecium BGGO9-28, selected from a laboratory collection of enterococcal isolates with auto-aggregation phenotypes. Among them, En. faecium BGGO9-28 showed the strongest auto-aggregation, adhesion to components of ECM and biofilm formation. Novel aggregation promoting factor AggE, a protein of 178.1 kDa, belongs to the collagen-binding superfamily of proteins and shares similar architecture with previously discovered aggregation factors from lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Its expression in heterologous enterococcal and lactococcal hosts demonstrates that the aggE gene is sufficient for cell aggregation. The derivatives carrying aggE exhibited the ten times higher adhesion ability to collagen and fibronectin, possess about two times higher adhesion to mucin and contribute to the increase of biofilm formation, comparing to the control strains. Analysis for the presence of virulence factors (cytolysin and gelatinase production), antibiotic resistance (antibiotic susceptibility) and genes ( cylA, agg, gelE, esp, hylN, ace, efaA fs , and efaA fm ) showed that BGGO9-28 was sensitive to all tested antibiotics, without hemolytic or gelatinase activity. This strain does not carry any of the tested genes encoding for known virulence factors. Results showed that BGGO9-28 was resistant to low pH and high concentrations of bile salts. Also, it adhered strongly to the Caco-2 human epithelial cell line. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that the presence of AggE protein on the cell surface in enterococci is a desirable probiotic feature.

Objectives: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as a decrease in glomerular filtration rate with an increase in serum creatinine (sCr). Perinatal asphyxia (PNA) may be etiological factor for AKI with oxidative stress also implicated. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity has been reported to be decreased in renal disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and oxidative stress during the first hours and first days of life and to determine if these parameters could discriminate neonates having AKI from those who do not., Methods: Serum samples at different time points after birth were obtained from 64 preterm newborns with PNA (45 defined as having AKI, 19 as non-AKI). Clinical markers, sCr, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and PON1 activity were measured., Results: The AKI group had more newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, significantly higher serum creatinine (sCr) at 3 and 7d, total antioxidant status (TAS) at 7d; decreased PON1 at 4h, 6h and 7d than the non-AKI group. Within the AKI group, significant positive correlations were found between PON1 activity at 2h and TAS at 2h, PON1 activity at 4h and base deficit (BD); whereas negative correlations between PON1 activity at 2h and ΔsCr (at 24h and at 3d), PON1 activity at 7d and ΔsCr (at 24h and 3d). Oxidative stress status parameters indicated excellent discriminative potential at 4h, 6h and 7d., Conclusions: AKI neonates were characterised by a marked decrease in PON1 activity. PON1 activity may be an important factor for discrimination of newborns having AKI from those that do not., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study was to explore oxidative stress status, especially the enzyme myeloperoxidase in children with end-stage renal disease. Also, we investigated possible associations between the atherogenic index of plasma and these parameters., Methods: Lipid status parameters, oxidative stress status parameters, and myeloperoxidase concentration were measured in the sera of 20 children in the last stage of chronic renal disease (ESRD) and 35 healthy children of matching age and sex. The Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) was calculated according to the appropriate equation., Results: We did not find any significant differences in myeloperoxidase concentrations between the investigated groups (p=0.394). Oxidative stress parameters were, however, significantly higher in the patient group (p<0.001), as well as the atherogenic index of plasma (p<0.001). Myeloperoxidase concentration and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) concentration were independently associated with increased AIP in the patient group (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Changes in AIP in children with ERSD are associated with the oxidative stress status and myeloper-oxidase concentration., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Recent developments in bone tissue engineering have led to an increased interest in one-dimensional (1D) hydroxyapatite (HA) nano- and micro-structures such as wires, ribbons and tubes. They have been proposed for use as cell substrates, reinforcing phases in composites and carriers for biologically active substances. Here we demonstrate the synthesis of 1D HA structures using an optimized, urea-assisted, high-yield hydrothermal batch process. The one-pot process, yielding HA structures composed of bundles of ribbons and wires, was typified by the simultaneous occurrence of a multitude of intermediate reactions, failing to meet the uniformity criteria over particle morphology and size. To overcome these issues, the preparation procedure was divided to two stages: dicalcium phosphate platelets synthesized in the first step were used as a precursor for the synthesis of 1D HA in the second stage. Despite the elongated particle morphologies, both the precursor and the final product exhibited excellent biocompatibility and caused no reduction of viability when tested against osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells in 2D culture up to the concentration of 2.6mg/cm(2). X-ray powder diffraction combined with a range of electron microscopies and laser diffraction analyses was used to elucidate the formation mechanism and the microstructure of the final particles. The two-step synthesis involved a more direct transformation of DCP to 1D HA with the average diameter of 37nm and the aspect ratio exceeding 100:1. The comparison of crystalline domain sizes along different crystallographic directions showed no signs of significant anisotropy, while indicating that individual nanowires are ordered in bundles in the b crystallographic direction of the P63/m space group of HA. Intermediate processes, e.g., dehydration of dicalcium phosphate, are critical for the formation of 1D HA alongside other key aspects of this phase transformation, it must be investigated in more detail in the continuous design of smart HA micro- and nano-structures with advanced therapeutic potentials., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Gut microbiota and gut-associated lymphoid tissue have been increasingly appreciated as important players in pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis that can be induced with an injection of spinal cord homogenate emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant in Dark Agouti (DA) rats, but not in Albino Oxford (AO) rats. In this study, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), Peyer's patches (PP) and gut microbiota were analysed in these two rat strains. There was higher proportion of CD4(+) T cells and regulatory T cells in non-immunised DA rats in comparison to AO rats. Also, DA rat MLN and PP cells were higher producers of pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ and interleukin-17. Finally, microbial analyses showed that uncultivated species of Turicibacter and Atopostipes genus were exclusively present in AO rats, in faeces and intestinal tissue, respectively. Thus, it is clear that in comparison of an EAE-susceptible with an EAE-resistant strain of rats, various discrepancies at the level of gut associated lymphoid tissue, as well as at the level of gut microbiota can be observed. Future studies should determine if the differences have functional significance for EAE pathogenesis.

Instrumental advances in infrared micro-spectroscopy have made possible the observation of individual human cells and even subcellular structures. The observed spectra represent a snapshot of the biochemical composition of a cell; this composition varies subtly but reproducibly with cellular effects such as progression through the cell cycle, cell maturation and differentiation, and disease. The aim of this summary is to provide a synopsis of the progress achieved in infrared spectral cytopathology (SCP) - the combination of infrared micro-spectroscopy and multivariate methods of analysis - for the detection of abnormalities in exfoliated human cells of the upper respiratory and digestive tract, namely the oral and nasopharyngeal cavities, and the esophagus.

This study was aimed to highlight the possibility of cotton fabric impregnation with silver nanoparticles synthesized by dextran isolated from Leuconostoc mesenteroides T3 in order to obtain antimicrobial properties. The fabrication of dextran was proved by FTIR spectroscopy. Particle sizes of synthesized dextran and silver nanoparticles were measured by dynamic light scattering method. The presence of silver nanoparticles on the surface of cotton fabric was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction measurements and reflectance spectrophotometry. Antimicrobial activity of cotton fabric impregnated with silver nanoparticles was tested against bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and fungus Candida albicans. The results indicated that synthesized silver nanoparticles can provide satisfactory antimicrobial activity. However, maximum reduction (99.9%) of all tested microorganisms can be obtained only when 1.0mmolL(-1) colloid consisting of silver nanoparticles is applied., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Enterococci represent the most controversial group of dairy bacteria. They are found to be the main constituent of many traditional Mediterranean dairy products and contribute to their characteristic taste and flavor. On the other hand, during the last 50 years antibiotic-resistant enterococci have emerged as leading causes of nosocomial infections worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity, technological properties, antibiotic susceptibility and virulence traits of 636 enterococci previously isolated from 55 artisan dairy products from 12 locations in the Western Balkan countries (WBC) of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. All strains were identified both by microbiological and molecular methods. The predominant species was Enterococcus durans, followed by Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Over 44% of the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, while 26.2% of the isolates were multi-resistant to three or more antibiotics belonging to different families. 185 isolates (29.1%) were susceptible to all 13 of the antibiotics tested. The antibiotic-susceptible isolates were further tested for possible virulence genes and the production of biogenic amines. Finally, five enterococci isolates were found to be antibiotic susceptible with good technological characteristics and without virulence traits or the ability to produce biogenic amines, making them possible candidates for biotechnological application as starter cultures in the dairy industry.

Background: This study investigated the effects of a nutritionally relevant intake of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids derived from oily fish or a fish oil supplement on selected cardiovascular risk factors in average middle-aged individuals., Methods: Thirty-three participants were randomized to receive salmon (oily fish) providing 274 mg EPA + 671 mg DHA/day or a commercial fish oil supplement providing 396 mg EPA + 250 mg DHA/day in a cross-over trial over an 8-week period separated by a 6-month washout period. Blood samples were collected before and after each intervention and lipids, inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters were determined., Results: Plasma levels of EPA, DHA and total n-3 fatty acids significantly increased after both interventions. A decreasing trend in triglycerides was more pronounced with salmon than with the fish oil supplement, but the changes noticed were not significant. Although there were no relevant changes in inflammatory marker concentrations at the end of both interventions, significant negative correlations were noticed between total plasma n-3 fatty acids and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule and C-reactive protein throughout the whole intervention period (p<0.05). Among the oxidative stress parameters, intervention with salmon showed a prooxidative effect through a superoxide anion increase (p=0.025). A relevant positive correlation was also found between its concentration and total plasma n-3 fatty acids (p<0.05). Other oxidative stress markers were not significantly influenced by the dietary interventions applied., Conclusions: Following two sets of recommendations for n-3 fatty acids intake aimed at the general public had only a moderate effect on the selected cardiovascular risk factors in average healthy middle-aged subjects over a short-term period.

We report results from a study utilizing infrared spectral cytopathology (SCP) to detect abnormalities in exfoliated esophageal cells. SCP has been developed over the past decade as an ancillary tool to classical cytopathology. In SCP, the biochemical composition of individual cells is probed by collecting infrared absorption spectra from each individual, unstained cell, and correlating the observed spectral patterns, and the variations therein, against classical diagnostic methods to obtain an objective, machine-based classification of cells. In the past, SCP has been applied to the analysis and classification of cells exfoliated from the cervix and the oral cavity. In these studies, it was established that SCP can distinguish normal and abnormal cell types. Furthermore, SCP can differentiate between truly normal cells, and cells with normal morphology from the vicinity of abnormalities. Thus, SCP may be a valuable tool for the screening of early stages of dysplasia and pre-cancer.

We report results of a study utilizing a novel tissue classification method, based on label-free spectral techniques, for the classification of lung cancer histopathological samples on a tissue microarray. The spectral diagnostic method allows reproducible and objective classification of unstained tissue sections. This is accomplished by acquiring infrared data sets containing thousands of spectra, each collected from tissue pixels ∼6 μm on edge; these pixel spectra contain an encoded snapshot of the entire biochemical composition of the pixel area. The hyperspectral data sets are subsequently decoded by methods of multivariate analysis that reveal changes in the biochemical composition between tissue types, and between various stages and states of disease. In this study, a detailed comparison between classical and spectral histopathology is presented, suggesting that spectral histopathology can achieve levels of diagnostic accuracy that is comparable to that of multipanel immunohistochemistry.

Background: There is a gap between the abilities and the everyday applications of Computerized Decision Support Systems (CDSSs). This gap is further exacerbated by the different 'worlds' between the software designers and the clinician end-users. Software programmers often lack clinical experience whereas practicing physicians lack skills in design and engineering., Objective: Our primary objective was to evaluate the performance of Metabolic Irregularities Narrowing down Device (MIND) intelligent medical calculator and differential diagnosis software through end-user surveys and discuss the roles of CDSS in the inpatient setting., Setting: A tertiary care, teaching community hospital., Study Participants: Thirty-one responders answered the survey. Responders consisted of medical students, 24%; attending physicians, 16%, and residents, 60%., Results: About 62.5% of the responders reported that MIND has the ability to potentially improve the quality of care, 20.8% were sure that MIND improves the quality of care, and only 4.2% of the responders felt that it does not improve the quality of care. Ninety-six percent of the responders felt that MIND definitely serves or has the potential to serve as a useful tool for medical students, and only 4% of the responders felt otherwise. Thirty-five percent of the responders rated the differential diagnosis list as excellent, 56% as good, 4% as fair, and 4% as poor., Discussion: MIND is a suggesting, interpreting, alerting, and diagnosing CDSS with good performance and end-user satisfaction. In the era of the electronic medical record, the ongoing development of efficient CDSS platforms should be carefully considered by practicing physicians and institutions.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro probiotic potential of dairy yeast isolates from artisanal cheeses manufactured in Serbia and Croatia., Materials and Methods: Twelve yeast strains isolated from artisanal fresh soft and white brined cheeses manufactured in Serbia and Croatia were used in the study. Survival in chemically-simulated gastrointestinal conditions, adherence to epithelial intestinal cells and proliferation of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) cells were evaluated., Results: The results revealed that two strains of Kluyvereomyces lactis ZIM 2408 and ZIM 2453 grew above one log unit (Δ log CFU/ml) in the complex colonic medium during 24 h of cultivation, while Torulaspora delbrueckii ZIM 2460 was the most resistant isolate in chemically-simulated conditions of gastric juice and upper intestinal tract. It was demonstrated that the strains K. lactis ZIM 2408 and ZIM2441 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ZIM 2415 were highly adhesive to Caco-2 cells, while strains K. lactis ZIM 2408 and Debaryomyces hansenii ZIM 2415 exhibit the highest adhesion percentage to HT29-MTX cells. All strains significantly (P < 0.0001) decreased the proliferation of GALT cells, suggesting the possible strain-specific immunomodulatory potential of the isolates., Conclusion: The dairy yeast isolates exhibit strain-specific probiotic properties, particularly the strain K. lactis ZIM 2408, which appears to be the best probiotic candidate in terms of all three criteria. Taking into account their immunomodulatory potential, the yeast isolates could be further tested for specific probiotic applications and eventually included in functional food formulated for patients suffering from diseases associated with an increased inflammatory status.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) supplementation on oxidative stress markers in patients with schizophrenia., Subjects and Methods: Eighteen (18) medicated patients with schizophrenia and 38 healthy controls received daily supplements of LA (500 mg/day) for three months. At baseline, 45th and 90th days of supplementation, venous blood collected for analysis of oxidative stress markers [superoxide anion (O2(•-)), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP)] and antioxidative defense markers [superoxide dismutase (SOD), total sulfhydryl groups (-SH) and total antioxidant status (TAS)]., Results: Increased plasma TBARS, TAS, SH groups levels and SOD activity were found in schizophrenic patients compared to control group. LA supplementation significantly reduced TBARS, AOPP and improved TAS levels in healthy subjects, while there were no significant differences in patients group. SH groups increased after 45 days and decreased to baseline levels after 90 days of supplementation in the control group. SOD activity decreased significantly in patients group after 45 days and 90 days of supplementation. After initial rose SOD activity in control group, decreased to baseline levels found after 90 days., Conclusion: LA supplementation decreased lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage of proteins and improved non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity in healthy controls. No significant changes were observed on oxidative damage in patients with schizophrenia.

Berry fruits are a rich source of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins: well-known potent anti-oxidant phytochemicals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate beneficial effects of long-term consumption of polyphenol-rich organic chokeberry juice on different markers of antioxidant/pro-oxidant status in healthy female volunteers. Twenty-nine women, aged 25-49, were included in the study. Serological markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence, blood pressure, routine biochemical, and anthropometric parameters were analyzed at baseline and after twelve weeks of regular chokeberry juice consumption. Significant decrease in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances level (TBARS; P<.001) and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB; P<.05), as well as increase in paroxonase-1 activity toward diazoxon (P<.01) were found. Total oxidative status and sulphydryl groups levels were not significantly influenced by the intervention. Anthropometric, biochemical parameters, and blood pressure values were within the referent values for all subjects and were not influenced by the chokeberry juice consumption. However, we found positive correlation between age, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percent, blood pressure, and analyzed marker of lipid peroxidation, which was influenced by the consumption. In conclusion, the fine modulation of several antioxidant/pro-oxidant status biomarkers observed in healthy subjects indicates putative prophylactic effects of polyphenol-rich chokeberry juice and supports its importance as part of an optimal diet.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess oxidative stress status parameters and their possible associations with traditional cardiovascular risk factors in patients with schizophrenia, as well as their potential for patient-control discrimination., Methods: Fasting glucose, lipid profile and oxidative stress status parameters were assessed in 30 schizophrenic patients with atypical antipsychotic therapy and 60 control subjects., Results: Malondialdehyde (MDA), pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance (PAB) and total anti-oxidant status (TAS) were significantly higher whereas total sulfhydryl (SH) groups were significantly lower in schizophrenic patients vs. control group. Higher serum PAB values showed an independent association with schizophrenia. The addition of PAB to conventional risk factors improved discrimination between healthy control subjects and patients., Conclusion: Increased oxidative stress and changed lipid profile parameters are associated in schizophrenic patients and may indicate risk for atherosclerosis. The serum PAB level may reflect the levels of oxidative stress in schizophrenia and improve discrimination of patients from controls.

In this paper, we report the spectral patterns of normal human thyroid tissue and methodology to interpret hyperspectral imaging data and protein conformational changes observed therein. Raw image datasets were imported into software written in-house in the MATLAB environment and processed to yield pseudo-color images of the tissue sections. All spectra were vector normalized, noise-filtered, and corrected for water-vapour contributions and scattering effects before being subjected to Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and correlated with histological structures obtained from images of H&E-stained parallel tissue sections. We successfully identified a protein structural heterogeneity that can be correlated with the spatially resolved amount of iodine in the thyroglobulin structure of colloids and follicular cells.

Objectives: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant problem in children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The aims of this study were to assess the diagnostic validity of serum CysC (sCysC), serum neutrophil gelatinase lipocalin (sNGAL), urine neutrophil gelatinase lipocalin (uNGAL), urine kidney injury molecule (uKIM)-1, and urine liver fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) to predict AKI presence and severity in children undergoing CPB., Design and Methods: We performed a prospective single-center evaluation of sCysC, sNGAL, uNGAL, uKIM-1 and uL-FABP at 0, 2, 6, 24 and 48 h postoperatively in children undergoing CPB during cardiac surgery. AKI was defined as ≥25% decrease in the estimated creatinine clearance (eCCl) from pre-operative baseline at 48h after surgery., Results: Of the 112 patients, 18 patients (16.1%) developed AKI; four of them needed acute dialysis treatment and three AKI patients died. In the AKI compared to the non-AKI group, sCysC at 2h, and uNGAL and uL-FABP at 2-48 h were significantly increased, as well as CPB, aortic cross clamp time and length of hospital stay. Biomarkers increased with worsening AKI severity. At 2h after CPB the best accuracy for diagnosis of AKI had uL-FABP and sCysC with area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) of 0.89 and 0.73, respectively. At 6 and 24h after CPB the best AUC was found for uL-FABP (0.75 and 0.87 respectively) and for uNGAL (0.70 and 0.93, respectively)., Conclusions: sCysC, uNGAL and uL-FABP are reliable early predictors for AKI after CPB. By allowing earlier timing of injury and earlier intervention, they could improve AKI outcome., (© 2013.)

This paper presents a short review on the improvements in data processing for spectral cytopathology, the diagnostic method developed for large scale diagnostic analysis of spectral data of individual dried and fixed cells. This review is followed by the analysis of the confounding effects introduced by utilizing reflecting "low-emissivity" (low-e) slides as sample substrates in infrared micro-spectroscopy of biological samples such as individual dried cells or tissue sections. The artifact introduced by these substrates, referred to as the "standing electromagnetic wave" artifact, indeed, distorts the spectra noticeably, as postulated recently by several research groups. An analysis of the standing wave effect reveals that careful data pre-processing can reduce the spurious effects to a level where they are not creating a major problem for spectral cytopathology and spectral histopathology.

Introduction: Dietary supplements, being concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other substances with nutritional and physiological effects, are products that supplement the normal diet. The aim of this study was to determine the use, attitudes and knowledge on dietary supplements among students of the University of Nis, paying special attention to differences in responses between male and female students., Material and Methods: The study used the original questionnaire which was distributed to 330 students from the University of Nis. The sample was stratified by school, year of study and sex. Out of 330 questionnaires, 301 were classified as correct and they were further analyzed., Results: Dietary supplements were used by 68.10% of the respondents. Females used dietary supplements more than males. Two or more products were most commonly used. Multivitamins were the most widely used products. The majority of respondents adhered to the declaration (77.07%). A small number had health damage (2.93%). More than half of the students stated that they were not properly informed about dietary supplements. The most common source of information was the media and friends., Conclusion: Health professionals and users of dietary supplements should be educated better on the use of these products in order to make the supplement use safe, controlled and rational.

The first study interpreting B-lymphocyte activation in normal lymph nodes using vibrational micro-spectral imaging is reported. Lymphocyte activation indicates the presence and response against a pathogen, regardless of the inciting pathogen's etiology, whether a benign, reactive or malignant process. Understanding the biochemical makeup of lymphocyte activation during early stages of disease and immune response may offer significant aid in determining a tumor's origin without the presence of malignant metastatic cells but within lymph nodes that are reactive and displaying regions of hyperplasia. Infrared and Raman data scrutinized via unsupervised multivariate methods may provide a physical and reproducible method to determine the biochemical components and variances therein of activated lymph nodes with distinguishing characteristics depending on the malignancy present in the region or elsewhere in the body. The results reported here provide a proof-of-concept study that reveal a potential to screen lymph nodes for disease without the presence of metastatic cells., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Spectral cytopathology (SCP) is a robust and reproducible diagnostic technique that employs infrared spectroscopy and multivariate statistical methods, such as principal component analysis to interrogate unstained cellular samples and discriminate changes on the biochemical level. In the past decade, SCP has taken considerable strides in its application for disease diagnosis. Cultured cell lines have proven to be useful model systems to provide detailed biological information to this field; however, the effects of sample fixation and storage of cultured cells are still not entirely understood in SCP. Conventional cytopathology utilizes fixation and staining methods that have been established and widely accepted for nearly a century and are focused on maintaining the morphology of a cell. Conversely, SCP practices must implement fixation protocols that preserve the sample's biochemical composition and maintain its spectral integrity so not to introduce spectral changes that may mask variance significant to disease. It is not only necessary to evaluate the effects on fixed exfoliated cells but also fixed cultured cells because although they are similar systems, they exhibit distinct differences. We report efforts to study the effects of fixation methodologies commonly used in traditional cytopathology and SCP including both fixed and unfixed routines applied to cultured HeLa cells, an adherent cervical cancer cell line. Data suggest parallel results to findings in Part 1 of this series for exfoliated cells, where the exposure time in fixative and duration of sample storage via desiccation contribute to minor spectral changes only. The results presented here reinforce observations from Part 1 indicating that changes induced by disease are much greater than changes observed as a result of alternate fixation methodologies. Principal component analysis of HeLa cells fixed via the same conditions and protocols as exfoliated cells (Part 1) yield nearly identical results. More importantly, the overall conclusion is that it is necessary that all samples subjected to comparative analysis should be prepared identically because although changes are minute, they are present.

This paper explores different phenomena that cause distortions of infrared absorption spectra by mixing of reflective and absorptive band shape components of infrared spectra, and the resulting distortion of observed band shapes. In the context of this paper, we refer to the line shape of the variations of the refractive index in spectral regions of an absorption maximum (i.e., in regions of "anomalous dispersion") as "dispersive" or "reflective" line shape contributions, in analogy to previous spectroscopic literature. These distortions usually result in asymmetric bands with a negative intensity contribution at the high wavenumber of the band, accompanied by a shift toward lower wavenumber, and confounded band intensities. In extreme cases of band distortions caused by the "resonance Mie" (RMie) mechanism, spectral peaks may be split into doublets of peaks, change from positive to negative peaks, or appear as derivative-shaped features.

We have optimized an imaging methodology capable of monitoring individual live HeLa cells using non-synchrotron FTIR in an aqueous environment. This methodology, in combination with MATLAB based pre-processing techniques, allows fast and efficient collection of data with high signal-to-noise ratio in comparison with previous methods using point mode data collection, which required manual operation and more collection time. Also, presented are early results that illustrate interpretable spectral differences from live cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs, demonstrating the potential of this methodology to develop more desirable modes of treatment for patients in their diagnoses and treatments for disease.

The study was designed to evaluate and compare the effects of single oral (or) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) cadmium (Cd) administration on parameters of oxidative stress in liver of rats. Furthermore, investigation on protective effects of magnesium (Mg) or and i.p. pretreatment on the same parameters was performed. Wistar rats were administrated oral dose of Cd (30 mg Cd/kg b.w.)/Cd+Mg (30 mg Cd/kg b.w., 50 mg Mg/kg b.w.) or i.p. dose of Cd (1.5 mg Cd/kg b.w.)/Cd+Mg (1.5 mg Cd/kg b.w., 3 mg Mg/kg b.w.) and sacrificed after 24 h. In liver homogenates superoxide anion, malondialdehyde, non-protein sulfhydryl groups, total sulfhydryl groups content, and superoxide dismutase activity were determined. Cadmium intoxication caused the increase of superoxide anion and malondialdehyde levels and had negative effect on investigated parameters of antioxidant defense system, except on total sulfhydryl groups. The negative effect was more emphasized after i.p. Cd administration. Oral Mg pretreatment induced more pronounced positive effect than Mg given intraperitoneally that can be attributed, at least partly, to Cd and Mg interactions on the level of GIT. On the basis of the obtained results it can be concluded that both Cd and Cd+Mg effects on parameters of oxidative stress in rats liver are route-dependent., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)