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Pomegranate juice (PJ) has potential positive effects in patients with metabolic disturbances due to a high content of polyphenols. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of a 2-week consumption of dietary doses of PJ on blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress markers in overweight patients with dyslipidemia. Twenty-four patients, 8 males and 16 females, 40-60 years of age, with established overweight and dyslipidemia were randomly assigned into intervention group, who consumed 300 mL of PJ daily for 2 weeks, or control group. After 2 weeks of juice intake, intervention group had significantly lower diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aminotransferase, and activity of glutathione peroxidase. Furthermore, patients who consumed PJ had reduced percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) in plasma phospholipids and increased estimated activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase. In erythrocytes, we found a significant increase in the levels of dihomo-gamma- linolenic acid (20:3n-6, DGLA) and DHA, as well as in estimated activity of Delta 6 desaturase, and a decrease in estimated activity of Delta 5 desaturase. These results show that even a short-term consumption of dietary doses of PJ exerts beneficial effects and affects lipid metabolism in overweight patients with dyslipidemia.

Lifestyle modifications are the main support of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) therapy. Weight loss is one of the primary goals in NAFLD, but the effects of different calorie-restricted diets remain unclear. Thus, we evaluated the effects of two calorie-restricted diets&mdash, the Mediterranean diet (Med diet) and low-fat diet&mdash, on liver status, cardiometabolic markers, and fatty acid profiles in patients with NAFLD. Twenty-four overweight/moderately obese men were randomly assigned to consume one of these diets. Lipid levels, glucose, insulin, liver enzymes, steatosis, and fatty acid profiles of serum and erythrocytes phospholipids were assessed. After 3 months, all participants had a significant weight loss (&gt, 9%), with improvements in waist circumference, body fat %, index of visceral adiposity (VAI), lipid accumulation product, fatty liver (FLI), and hepatic steatosis (HSI) index (p &lt, 0.001). Both diets significantly lowered triglycerides, total and LDL-cholesterol, liver enzymes, fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR index. Fatty acid profiles were enhanced after both diets, with a significantly decreased n-6/n-3 ratio. Participants on the Med diet had higher levels of HDL-cholesterol and monounsaturated and n-3 docosahexaenoic acids in serum phospholipids and lower levels of saturated fatty acids, triglycerides, TG/HDL ratio, and FLI when compared to participants on the low-fat diet. Our results indicate that dietary patterns and calorie restriction represent central therapeutic issues in the improvement of obesity-related cardiometabolic alterations that are involved in the mechanism of hepatic steatosis. The Med diet may contribute to disease treatment even more than the low-fat diet since it leads to decreased saturated and increased monounsaturated and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status and improved FLI in NAFLD patients.

Our study aimed to examine the status of plasma fatty acids (FAs), inflammatory markers, and lipid peroxidation in patients with femoral neck fractures. The study included 20 patients (64–86 years) with femoral neck fractures indicated for surgery and a control group of 17 elderly subjects without fractures or serious chronic diseases. Plasma was obtained during the first 12 h postfracture and presurgery and 7 days postop. Compared to the control, patients had significantly higher saturated FA (SFA) and monounsaturated FA as well as increased TNF-α and IL-6. Opposite to that, levels of individual and total n-6 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), individual and total n-3 PUFA, n-6/n-3 ratio, and levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were markedly lower in the patient than in the controls. On the seventh day after the surgery, we showed a further rise in the SFA, oleic acid, and TNF-α and reductions of n-6 PUFA and IL-6. Taken together, our results suggest that altered FA status, especially reduced PUFA, may influence hip fracture repair and even contribute to femoral fracture susceptibility in the elderly. A potential benefit from nutritional intervention with PUFA in prevention and (or) fracture healing should be considered.

In this paper are presented results of tests and analyses of complex dynamic loads carried out on the bucket-wheel excavator SchRs 650/5 × 24 Krupp, as well as assessment of service life of vital welded structures of a bucket-wheel excavator boom subjected to cyclic loading with a variable amplitude through the use of experimental tests carried out in order to determine operational strength and growth of a fatigue crack for one structural part. Bucket-wheel excavator was built by “Thyssen Krupp” company, Germany. Outer loads, or in other words digging forces for the overburden and coal have been calculated on the basis of measured values of actual current intensity of the bucket-wheel drive and recorded output values of changeable loads. Correlations between the power of the bucket-wheel drive system and adequate hourly production, depending on the overall digging resistance which affects the stress condition of the bucket-wheel, were also determined. Results of the theoretical and experimental analysis of natural and forced oscillations of the support structure for various exploitation conditions are presented in first part of the paper. Deformations e i determined by tensometric measurements on the rotating shaft of the bucket-wheel were converted into tangential stresses through the introduction of the modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio, which, along with the polar moment of inertia of the cross-section, define the moment of rotation on the bucket-wheel shaft. Through the use of the load - strength comparison method (maximization of the ratio of load and strength indicators) the application factor of the gear with the largest number of turns K A has been determined. In the second part of the paper methodological approach for the assessment of service life of vital welded structures of a bucket-wheel excavator boom was presented. Assessment was done in order to determine operational strength and growth of a fatigue crack, through the use of experimental tests. Realized researches and results presented in this paper offer great possibilities for the analyses of behaviour of vital welded structures of the bucket-wheel boom. By the application of the measurement device with 8 channels for registration and processing of electric signals HBM Spider 8 and measurement tapes HBM 6/350 × XY31 deformations were measured at vital welded structures of the boom in the area of the bucket-wheel. The objective of the test is to determine if there is a possibility of occurrence of plastic deformations or initial cracks due to fatigue at vital welded structures and to obtain data which define crack growth.

This study investigated different dietary strategies, high-fat (HFd), or standard diet (Sd) alone or in combination with standardized Aronia melanocarpa extract (SAE), as a polyphenol-rich diet, and their effects on lipids and fatty acids (FA) in rats with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into two groups: healthy and rats with MetS, and then depending on dietary patterns on six groups: healthy rats fed with Sd, healthy rats fed with Sd and SAE, rats with MetS fed with HFd, rats with MetS fed with HFd and SAE, rats with MetS fed with Sd, and rats with MetS fed with Sd and SAE. 4 weeks later, after an overnight fast (12-14 h), blood for determination of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), index of lipid peroxidation (measured as TBARS), and FA was collected. Increased FA and lipid concentration found in MetS rats were reduced when changing dietary habits from HFd to Sd with or without SAE consumption. Consumption of SAE slightly affects the FA profiles, mostly palmitoleic acid in healthy rats and PUFA in MetS + HFd rats. Nevertheless, in a high-fat diet, SAE supplementation significantly decreases n-6/n-3 ratio, thereby decreasing systemic inflammation. Further researches are warranted to confirm these effects in humans.

Varying degrees of liver injuries have been reported in patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). In general, oxidative stress is actively involved in initiation and progression of liver damage. The liver metabolizes various compounds that produce free radicals. Maintaining the oxidative/antioxidative balance is important in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Antioxidant vitamins, essential trace elements and food compounds, such as polyphenols, appear to be promising agents, with effects in oxidative burst. Deficiency of these nutrients suppresses immune function and increases susceptibility to COVID-19. Daily micronutrient intake is necessary to support anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects but for immune function may be higher than current recommended dietary intake. Antioxidant supplements (β-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium) could have a potential role in patients with liver damage. Available evidence suggests that supplementing the diet with a combination of micronutrients may help to optimize immune function and reduce the risk of infection. Clinical trials based on the associations of diet and SARS-CoV-2 infection are lacking. Unfortunately, it is not possible to definitively determine the dose, route of administration and best timing to intervene with antioxidants in COVID-19 patients because clinical trials are still ongoing. Until then, hopefully, this review will enable clinicians to understand the impact of micronutrient dietary intake and liver status assessment in COVID-19 patients.

The aim of this study was to compare dietary intake and status of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids metabolically healthy and unhealthy, and obese and nonobese persons. Metabolic health status in 171 participants was defined according to criteria for metabolic syndrome. Obese and nonobese metabolically unhealthy persons (MUHO and MUHNO) had higher energy intake of n-6 PUFA (7.82 +/- 1.03 and 7.49 +/- 0.86) and lower intake of n-3 PUFA (0.60 +/- 0.12 and 0.62 +/- 0.11) compared to obese and nonobese metabolically healthy persons (MHO and MHNO) (5.92 +/- 0.63 and 5.72 +/- 0.67; 1.20 +/- 0.07 and 1.22 +/- 0.09, respectively) and a higher n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. The plasma level of n-6 PUFA was lower in the MUHO and MUHNO groups (38.49 +/- 3.71 and 38.53 +/- 2.19) compared to MHNO (40.90 +/- 2.43), while n-3 PUFA status was lower in obese than in nonobese persons (3.58 +/- 0.79 and 3.50 +/- 1.02 vs. 4.21 +/- 0.80 and 4.06 +/- 1.15). The MHO group had a higher eicosapentaenoic/arachidonic acid ratio and estimated desaturase (SCD16, D6D) and elongase activity in plasma phospholipids compared to MHNO. The low intake of n-3 PUFA is directly associated with metabolic risk factors. These results indicated that obesity is closely associated with low levels of n-3 PUFA in plasma phospholipids, suggesting that dietary modifications including n-3 PUFA supplementation appear to be suitable therapeutic strategy in obese persons.

Being characterized by progressive and severe damage in neuronal cells, neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are the major cause of disability and morbidity in the elderly, imposing a significant economic and social burden. As major components of the central nervous system, lipids play important roles in neural health and pathology. Disturbed lipid metabolism, particularly lipid peroxidation (LPO), is associated with the development of many NDDs, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), all of which show elevated levels of LPO products and LPO-modified proteins. Thus, the inhibition of neuronal oxidation might slow the progression and reduce the severity of NDD; natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols and antioxidant vitamins, seem to be the most promising agents. Here, we summarize current literature data that were derived from human studies on the effect of natural polyphenols and vitamins A, C, and E supplementation in patients with AD, PD, and ALS. Although these compounds may reduce the severity and slow the progression of NDD, research gaps remain in antioxidants supplementation in AD, PD, and ALS patients, which indicates that further human studies applying antioxidant supplementation in different forms of NDDs are urgently needed.

Background/Aim. Epileptogenic lesions carry intrinsic epileptogenicity or epileptogenic potential in their close vicinity. One third of patients with focal epilepsy have no epileptogenic lesions magnetic resonance imaging [MRI(-)]. The aim of this study was to determine the epileptogenic zone investigating electrical and clinical properties of MRI- patients. Methods. In 180 patients with focal epilepsy we analyzed 1,712 seizures for interictal and ictal electroencephalography (EEG) and seizure semiology. If multiple seizures occurred we took the best seen on video as an example, with secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) if it occurred. Brain MRI was focused to investigate the zone of ictal EEG onset. Electroclinical properties of the MRIpatients were compared to lesion positive patients [MRI(+)]. Results. A single epileptogenic lesion was identified in 68.89% [hippocampal sclerosis (HS) in 58, focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) in 28 and other pathologies in 38 patients]. MRI(-) patients had significantly less interictal epileptiform abnormalities, and presented more often (p < 0.001) with secondary GTCS as the only seizure. Eye opening, hypermotor seizure, bilateral asymmetric clonic seizure, vocalization, and contralateral body turning occurred more frequently in the MRI- group compared to the MRI+ one. MRI- patients share some semiological features with FCD as opposed to HS patients. Conclusion. MRIepilepsy patients frequently present with electroclinical features seen in frontal lobe epilepsy or in epilepsy associated with FCD.

Objective: Metabolic changes in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) impair vasodilation, and this leads to tissue hypoxia and microvascular pathology. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can significantly improve the outcome of ischemic conditions in IDDM patients and reduce vascular complications. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of HBOT on plasma fatty acid (FA) composition, and expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1) in IDDM patients. Methods: Our study included 24 adult IDDM patients diagnosed with peripheral vascular complications. The patients were exposed to 10 sessions of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.4 atmosphere absolute for 1 hour. Blood samples were collected at admission and after HBOT for measurement of metabolic parameters, FA composition and IGFBP-1. Measurement of plasma FA composition was determined by gas chromatography. Expression of IGFBP-1 in the serum was estimated by Western blot analysis. Results: HBOT decreased blood levels of total cholesterol (p

Oleic acid has many beneficial effects on human health. One of the main dietary sources of oleic acid is olive oil. Non-Mediterranean European countries, including Serbia, have low habitual olive oil consumption, but other vegetable oils also contain different amounts of oleic acid. In infants and young children m ilk is the most important source of fatty acids, including oleic acid. Furthermore, fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids reflects dietary intake and fatty acid metabolism. In patients with serious chronic diseases fatty acid status is altered independently on the intake. Here we reviewed status of oleic acid in healthy persons as well as in patients with different chronic diseases in Serbia. Oleinska kiselina ima ima višestrukepozitivne efekte na život i zdravlje ljudi. Jedan od glavnih izvora oleinske kiseline je maslinovo ulje. Evropske zemlje, koje nepripadaju mediteranskoj regiji, među kojima je i Srbija, retko koriste maslinovo ulje u ishrani, ali i druga biljna ulja sadrže oleinsku kiselinu u različitom procentu. Kod odojčadi i dece mlađeg uzrasta, mleko je najvažniji izvor masnih kiselina, uključujući i oleinsku. Dijetetski unos masnih kiselina i njihov metabolizam u telu, odražava masnokiselinski sastav ufosfolipidima plazme. Kod pacijenata sa teškim hroničnim oboljenjima, masnokiselinski sastav je promenjen nezavisno od unosa. U ovom radu je prikazan status oleinske kiseline kod zdravih osoba, kao i kod pacijenata sa različitim hroničnim oboljenjima u Srbiji.

Premature damages and fractures of components and structures of bucket-wheel excavators at open-pit mine often occur in exploitation, caused either by inadequate design or insufficient knowledge of the material properties, welded joints and flaws in component production technology. The bucket-wheel excavator, TAKRAF SRs 2000 × 32/5.0 was employed on the excavation of barren soil for 5.000 h (a few weeks more than a year after the assembly) when the fracture of the tooth of the girth gear, which enables the circular motion of the upper structure of the bucket-wheel excavator, occurred. The gear was, according to the manufacturer’s certificate, made of the cast steel GS 40 MnCrSi3 V. The paper presents calculations of the stress variations cycles’ number for one tooth, as well as of the fracture mechanics parameters – the critical stress intensity factor and critical crack length. It was established that the fracture of the tooth occurred due to an initial crack existing in its base, which originated during the gear’s manufacturing, i.e. due to the so-called "manufacturing-in defect".

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Reactive oxygen species have been considered as aggravating factors for autoimmune diseases. Fatty acids had been linked in reduction of various diseases by augment of their antioxidant potential and antiinflammatory mechanisms. The aim of this study was to assess the oxidative status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who used concentrated fish oil only or concentrated fish oil in combination with evening primrose oil in a period of 3 months. Subjects were divided into three groups. The group I consists of patients who had been taking only their regular rheumatologic therapy; group II, patients who had been taking concentrated fish oil; and group III, patients who had been taking concentrated fish oil and evening primrose oil. Peripheral blood samples were used for all the assays. We assessed the following oxidative stress markers: index of lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS)), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion radical (O-2 (-)), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), catalase activity (CAT), and glutathione levels (GSH) in erythrocytes. There were no statistically significant changes for any of the oxidative stress parameters in group I. In group II, levels of TBARS, NO2 (-), and GSH were increased, while levels of H2O2 decreased. Increased values of TBARS, NO2 (-), and SOD were found in group III. Our findings indicate that intakes of fish oil and evening primrose oil may be of importance in mitigation of inflammation, disease activity, and oxidative stress biomarkers, through increased activities of antioxidant enzymes.

Considering the limited knowledge regarding the effects of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs on the inflammatory response during physical activity, we aimed to evaluate the level of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in young soccer players before and after a maximal physical load test at the beginning and end of a two-month training process. The study included 75 young footballers from Football School 'Kragujevac,' who were followed during the two-month training programme. The subjects were divided into the following groups: 1) control group (consumed a standard diet); 2) group that consumed fish oil (2500 mg of n-3 PUFAs per day); 3) group that consumed nutritional sunflower oil (2500 mg of n-6 PUFAs daily). The maximal progressive exercise test was performed using a treadmill belt. Venous blood samples were drawn 4 times for the determination of cytokine levels (IL-6 and TNF-α): before and after the exercise load test before the two-month training programme (initial measurement) and immediately before and after the exercise load test after the two-month training programme (control measurement). Supplementation with fish oil (n-3) has been associated with reduced levels of IL-6 compared with the initial values. After an acute bout of exercise, n-3 PUFAs did not show a significant effect on inflammatory marker dynamics, whereas n-6 PUFAs slightly stimulated the production of TNF-α. S'obzirom na ograničeno znanje o efektima polinezasićenih masnih kiselina (n-3 i n-6 PUFA-Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids), cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se procene vrednosti pro- i antiinflamatornih medijatora u miru i nakon maksimalnog testa opterećenja pre i nakon dvomesečnog trenažnog programa. U studiji je učestvovalo 75 mladih fudbalera omladinske fudbalske škole 'Kragujevac', starosti od 18 - 19 godina, koji su bili praćeni tokom dva meseca. Oni su bili podeljeni u tri grupe: 1. kontrolna grupa (standardna ishrana), 2. grupa koja je konzumirala riblje ulje (2500mg n-3 PUFA dnevno), 3. grupa koja je konzumirala suncokretovo ulje (2500mg n-6 PUFA dnevno). Venski uzorci krvi za određivanje nivoa citokina (IL-6, TNF- α) uzimani su 4 puta: u miru i nakon testa opterećenja, pre i posle dvomesečnog trenažnog programa. Svakodnevna suplementacija ribljim uljem povezana je sa smanjenim vrednostima IL-6 u odnosu na njegove početne vrednosti. Upotreba različitih vrsta polinezasiđenih masnih kiselina nije bitnije uticala na proizvodnju citokina, neposredno nakon akutnog nastupa sportske aktivnosti (testa opterećenja).

Pomegranate peel contains high levels of various phytochemicals. We evaluated the effects of pomegranate peel extract (PoPEx) consumption on plasma lipid profile, fatty acids (FA) level and blood pressure (BP) in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2). Thirty-seven subjects were recruited in this double blind, placebo controlled randomized trial. The study group (n = 19) received over 8 week’s capsules containing PoPEx twice a daily, while the placebo group received placebo. Treatment with PoPEx induced a significant lowering of both systolic and diastolic BP. The plasma levels of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LDL-C/HDL-C), and HbA1c were significantly decreased, while the level of HDL-C was significantly increased, compared with placebo intake. Moreover, the PoPEX treatment significantly improved the plasma lipids fatty acids content. It is concluded that consumption of PoPEx in DMT2 subject had favourable effects on some metabolic parameters, BP, lipid profile and plasma lipid FA composition.

Limited studies have been performed to associate abnormal phospholipid (PL) profile and disease activity in hematological malignancies, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The aim of his study was to evaluate the levels of plasma PL fractions in NHL patients, in response to chemotherapy. Forty non-treated patients with NHL and 25 healthy individuals were recruited. Blood samples from patients were taken before chemotherapy, after 3 cycles and after the end of the treatment, and PL fractions were resolved by one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. To assess potential relationship between plasma PL profile and response to therapy, patients were divided according to clinical outcome in 3 groups: complete remission (CR), stable disease (SD) and progression (PG). Despite significant differences between NHL patients and healthy controls, no differences were found at baseline among patients divided according to clinical outcome. During and after chemotherapy important alterations in PL profile were observed. Levels of total PLs and all PL fractions decreased in patients with PG while in patients who responded to therapy (CR, SD) PLs significantly increased. Results of our study suggest that changes of total PLs and PL fractions during the therapy are associated with the effects of therapy and clinical outcome in patients with NHL. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Calf bronchopneumonia is complex multifactorial disease and for its accurate diagnosis and therapy, besides clinical examination, microbiologic, hematologic and biochemical analyses could be necessary. In general, additional analyses are not implemented, mainly because the disease biomarkers are not defined.To establish which analysis might be useful for determining the severity of the disease, we analyzed 23 three-month old calves with mild clinical signs of bronchopneumonia and 15 age-matched healthy calves.Pasteurella multocidawas isolated from deep nasal swabs of diseased calves. Peripheral blood erythrocyte and leukocyte count of bronchopneumonic and healthy calves showed no difference. Serum proteins, lipoproteins and lipids were analyzed with spectrophotometry, agarose gel electrophoresis, non-reducing SDS-PAGE, gel zymography, and thin-layer chromatography. The bronchopneumonic calves had an increased level of circulating immune complexes and α globulins, which contain some of the positive acute phase proteins. In diseased calves the increased concentration of total γ globulins (IgG), due to an increased concentration of anionic γ globulins (predominately IgG1), was detected. The increased concentration of anionic γ globulins followed by increased concentration of transferrin (negative acute phase protein) and HDL cholesterol, decreased concentration of LDL-cholesterol, unchanged activity of matrix metalloproteases and leukocyte counts might reflect the obvious absence of generalized inflammation. A positive correlation was found between the acquired results and the appearance of mild clinical signs. Therefore, we believe that the parameters analyzed in the peripheral blood could be applied as reliable disease markers to distinguish between severe (inflammatory) and mild forms of calf bronchopneumonia and to predict a better outcome for these calves.

Background Serum paraoxonase-1(PON-1) activity is decreased in clinical conditions associated with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), increased lipid peroxidation and low-grade chronic inflammation, as in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Until now there are no data about the association of any fatty acid (FA) with PON-1 activity in T2DM. Methods Twenty patients with T2DM and 16 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Serum PON-1 activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity as well as plasma glucose, HbA1c, lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and insulin resistance, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) were measured. The preparation of FA methyl esters and their gas chromatography (GC) analysis were also performed. Results HbA1c, plasma insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides were higher in patients with T2DM, whereas HDL-C was lower in those subjects. Levels of pro-oxidative enzyme malondialdehyde (MDA) and hs-CRP were significantly higher, and anti-oxidative enzymes SOD and PON-1 activity were decreased in T2DM patients. N-6 PUFAs were higher in T2DM patients, particularly linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4 n-6), whereas n-3 PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) was lower in T2DM patients. Using regression analysis, we have shown that only LA and DHA independently predicted PON-1 activity of all participants, particularly in patients with T2DM. Conclusions Decreased serum PON-1 activity may, in part, be influenced by higher levels of LA and lower levels of DHA in patients with T2DM. Prospective, randomized studies are necessary to confirm these preliminary findings.

Introduction Eating disorders indicate unhealthy habits in nutrition and/or behaviour in the feeding and maintaining of body weight. The main characteristic of these diseases is changed behaviour in nutrition, either as an intentional restriction of food, namely extreme dieting or overeating, i.e. binge eating. Extreme dieting, skipping meals, self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and misuse of laxatives and diuretics for the purpose of maintaining or reducing body weight are the forms of compensatory behaviour. Objective The purpose of the present research was to determine the presence of different inappropriate compensatory behaviours among eating disordered patients. Methods The experimental group included 35 female eating disordered patients of 23.02?}3.46 years on average, with anorexia or bulimia nervosa. The control group consisted of 70 girls aged 23.1?}3.0 years on average. Each participant completed a '24-hour Recall Questionnaire' and the 'Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale'. Results A high statistically significant difference existed in the presence of all compensatory behaviours in the experimental and control group, regarding vomiting (?2=40.6; p

This study examines the relationship between erythrocyte phospholipid FA composition and insulin sensitiv­ity in obese patients on a typical Serbian diet. In 30 patients, two insulin sensitivity groups were formed and their FAs analyzed. The shares of 22:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and total n-3 PUFAs, as well as a measure of Δ5 desaturase activity (the 20:4n-6/20:3n-6 ratio) were lower in the insulin resistance group compared to the normal glucose tolerance group. The fasting insulin level and HOMA value were inversely related to the percentage of 22:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and total n-3 PUFAs. Our data indicate that the percentage of n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte phospholipids is linked with insulin sensitivity parameters in obese patients. Masnokiselinski sastav membrana, koji se bar delimično može modifikovati dijetarnim unosom masnih kiselina, igra važnu ulogu u senzitivnosti na insulin. Cilj ove studije bio je ispitivanje veze između senzitivnosti na insulin i masnokiselinskog sastava fosfolipida eritrocita kod gojaznih osoba. Trideset umereno gojaznih/gojaznih nedijabetičara sa hiperlipoproteinemijama (ukupni holesterol gt 5.2 mmol/l, LDL-holesterol gt 3.4 mmol/l) podeljeni su u dve grupe, koristeći HOMA vrednost kao parametar senzitivnosti na insulin: grupu sa normalnom tolerancom na glukozu (NTG) i grupu sa rezistencijom na insulin (IR). Ukupni lipidi eritrocita su estrahovani i fosfolipidi izolovani tankoslojnom hromatografijom. Posle metilovanja masne kiseline analizirane su gasno-tečnom hromatografijom. Zastupljenost 22:5n-3 (p lt 0.01), 22:6n-3 (p lt 0.01), ukupnih n-3 polinezasićenih masnih kiselina (p lt 0.001) i odnos zastupljenosti 20:4n-6/20:3n-6 (pokazatelja aktivnosti delta-5 desaturaze) (p lt 0.05) su sniženi u IR grupi u poređenju sa NGT grupom. Nivo insulina natašte i HOMA vrednost inverntno su povezani sa zastupljenošću 22:5n-3 (p lt 0.05), 22:6n-3 (p lt 0.01) i ukupnim n-3 polinezasićenim kiselinama (p lt 0.01). Naši rezultati pokazuju da je nivo n-3 masnih kiselina u fosfolipidima eritrocita povezan sa senzitivnošću na insulin kod gojaznih osoba na ishrani tipičnoj za podneblje Srbije.

Contrast enhancement plays a fundamental role in image processing. Weighted thresholded histogram equalization (HE) is a well-known method for contrast enhancement, frequently used at the preprocessing stage in many image processing systems. Optimization of the weighting constraints is a hard optimization problem, and swarm intelligence metaheuristics have been successfully used for solving such problems. In this chapter we present an application of the bat algorithm (BA) to an image contrast enhancement problem. The proposed method improves performance of the weighted thresholded HE method by using the BA for optimizing weighting constrains. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated via quantitative and visual analysis. Discrete entropy of the image was used as an objective criterion for measuring image contrast enhancement. The experimental results show that, for the variety of test images, the proposed method enhances contrast effectively while preserving brightness and natural appearance.

Contrast enhancement plays a fundamental role in image processing. Histogram equalization is a well-known and effective technique for enhancing the contrast of the input image, however it fails to preserve the brightness of the image. In order to preserve natural appearance and brightness of enhanced images, we propose a new dynamic recursive sub-image histogram equalization method for contrast enhancement. Experimental results show that, for the variety of test images, the proposed method enhances contrast effectively, while preserving brightness and natural appearance.

Lip detection is an important area of research in image processing that has numerous applications. In this paper an improved algorithm for lip detection is proposed. It is based on skin detection using combination of HSV, YCbCr and normalized RGB color models, face detection using largest connected skin region and lip detection after lower part extraction by edge information. Experimental results show that our proposed algorithm, tested on standard benchmark images, exhibits excellent performance and has capacity for improvement.

(1) Background: Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and (sic)-linolenic acid (GLA) are well-known anti-inflammatory agents that may help in the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Their effects were examined in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; (2) Methods: Sixty patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were involved in a prospective, randomized trial of a 12 week supplementation with fish oil (group I), fish oil with primrose evening oil (group II), or with no supplementation (group III). Clinical and laboratory evaluations were done at the beginning and at the end of the study; (3) Results: The Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28 score), number of tender joints and visual analogue scale (VAS) score decreased notably after supplementation in groups I and II (p lt 0.001). In plasma phospholipids the n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio declined from 15.47 +/- 5.51 to 10.62 +/- 5.07 (p = 0.005), and from 18.15 +/- 5.04 to 13.50 +/- 4.81 (p = 0.005) in groups I and II respectively. The combination of n-3 PUFA and GLA (group II) increased.-linolenic acid (0.00 +/- 0.00 to 0.13 +/- 0.11, p lt 0.001), which was undetectable in all groups before the treatments; (4) Conclusion: Daily supplementation with n-3 fatty acids alone or in combination with GLA exerted significant clinical benefits and certain changes in disease activity.

Background. Plant seeds have gained interest for their health benefits due to their fatty acid content. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary consumption of milled sesame/pumpkin/flax seed mixture on glycemic control, serum lipids, phospholipid fatty acid status, and inflammatory factors in patients on hemodialysis.Methods. Thirty patients with well nutrition status (18 male, 12 female) were enrolled in the study. Participants consumed 30 g of milled sesame/pumpkin/flax (6 g/6 g/18 g, resp.) seeds mixture added to their habitual diet.Results. Total n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and levels of linoleic, dihomo-gamma-linolenic (DGLA), arachidonic, alpha-linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid were increased after 12 weeks of supplementation. A significant decrease of the serum triglyceride level (P<0.001), glucose, insulin, calculated IR HOMA (P<0.05), and inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and hs-CRP,P<0.001) was observed after seed mixture treatment. The serum levels of CRP and TNF-alpha negative correlate with ALA, DHA, and DGLA.Conclusion. Results of this study indicated that dietary milled sesame/pumpkin/flax seed mixture added to a habitual diet lowered triglyceride and CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-6 levels, affect glycemic control and improved fatty acid profile and pruritus symptoms in hemodialysis patients.

The objective of this systematic review was to identify studies investigating iodine intake and biomarkers of iodine status, to assess the data of the selected studies, and to estimate dose-response relationships using meta-analysis. All randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, nested case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies that supplied or measured dietary iodine and measured iodine biomarkers were included. The overall pooled regression coefficient (beta) and the standard error of beta were calculated by random-effects meta-analysis on a double-log scale, using the calculated intake-status regression coefficient (beta) for each individual study. The results of pooled randomized controlled trials indicated that the doubling of dietary iodine intake increased urinary iodine concentrations by 14% in children and adolescents, by 57% in adults and the elderly, and by 81% in pregnant women. The dose-response relationship between iodine intake and biomarkers of iodine status indicated a 12% decrease in thyroid-stimulating hormone and a 31% decrease in thyroglobulin in pregnant women. The model of dose-response quantification used to describe the relationship between iodine intake and biomarkers of iodine status may be useful for providing complementary evidence to support recommendations for iodine intake in different population groups.

The aim of the present paper was to investigate the serum concentration of total phospholipids and distribution of the phospholipid classes in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and dyslipidemia. We analyzed the serum phospholipids in 28 newly diagnosed patients with diabetes type 2, of which 12 men and 16 postmenopausal women aged 43-70 years. Sex- and age-matched control group was formed from 27 apparently healthy subjects. The results showed a significantly higher level of total phospholipids in the patient group when compared with healthy subjects (p lt 0.001). The relative concentration of phosphatidil-choline was significantly higher, and percentages of all other phospholipid classes were significantly lower in the patient group. The obtained results suggest an altered metabolic control of phospholipids in patients with diabetes type 2 with dyslipidemia. Cilj našeg rada bio je da se odredi koncentracija ukupnih fosfolipida i procentualna zastupljenost fosfolipidnih frakcija u serumu bolesnika sa dijabetesom tip 2 i udruženom dislipidemijom. U studiju je uključeno 28 bolesnika sa novootkrivenim dijabetesom tip 2, od kojih je 12 muškaraca i 16 žena u postmenopauzalnom periodu, starosti 43-70 godina. Kontrolnu grupu činilo je 27 zdravih osoba iste starosti. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali statistički značajno viši nivo ukupnih fosfolipida u grupi bolesnika u poređenju sa zdravim osobama (p lt 0.001). Procentualna zastupljenost fosfolipidnih frakcija pokazala je statistički značajno veći udeo fosfatidil-holina i statistički značajno nižu učestalost svih ostalih frakcija fosfolipida u grupi obolelih. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na poremećenu kontrolu metabolizma fosfolipida kod obolelih od dijabetesa tip 2 sa udruženom dislipidemijom.

A systematic review was conducted to summarize the evidence currently available from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning the effect of iron intake of infants, children and adolescents on measures of cognitive development and function. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase were searched up to and including February 2010. Studies were also identified by checking the bibliographies of the articles retrieved. All RCTs with an adequate control group in which iron supply was provided by natural food sources, fortified foods, formula or supplements to infants, children or adolescents until the age of 18 years were considered for inclusion. No language restrictions were applied. Fourteen studies met the selection criteria. Twelve out of these 14 studies had a high or moderate risk of bias. A large degree of heterogeneity of study populations, iron dosages and outcome measures precluded performing a quantitative meta-analysis. Overall, the studies suggest a modest positive effect of iron supplementation on cognition and psychomotor outcomes in anemic infants and children after supplementation periods of at least 2 months of duration. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel

The effect of intensive long-term physical activity on phospholipid fatty acid (FA) composition has not been studied thoroughly. We determined plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid FA status of professional basketball and football players. Our results showed differences in plasma FA profile not only between sportsmen and sedentary subjects, but also between two groups of sportsmen. Plasma FA profile in basketball players showed significantly higher proportion of n-6 FA (20: 3, 20: 4, and 22: 4) and total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) than controls, while football players had higher palmitoleic acid (16: 1) than basketball players and controls. Total PUFA and 22: 4 were also higher in basketball than in football players. Erythrocyte FA profile showed no differences between football players and controls. However, basketball players had higher proportion of 18: 0 than controls, higher saturated FA and lower 18: 2 than two other groups, and higher 22: 4 than football players. These findings suggest that long-term intensive exercise and type of sport influence FA profile.

Dyslipidemia is one of the possible risk factors for advanced atherosclerosis in patients with chronic renal failure. Abnormal phospholipid metabolism may play an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with renal failure. The aim of this study was to determine specific characteristics of plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid content and fatty acid composition in 37 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis (HD). The results were compared with the characteristics of healthy subjects. Briefly, plasma triglyceride (p lt 0.001), total cholesterol (p lt 0.05), and total phospholipids (p lt 0.01) levels were significantly higher and HDL-cholesterol level significantly lower (p lt 0.01) in HD patients. Plasma phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine concentration were significantly higher (p lt 0.001) in HD patients. The plasma phospholipid fatty acids composition indicated significantly (p lt 0.01) higher level of oleic (18:1 n-9) and lower levels of eicopentaenoic (20:5 n-3 EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6 n-3 DHA) acids (p lt 0.05). However, in HD patients, the relative concentration of plasma phospholipid n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was significantly lower (p lt 0.05). The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phospholipid in HD patients was modified with EPA and DHA levels significantly lowered (p lt 0.05). Our results demonstrate an abnormal phospholipid metabolism and deficiency of n-3 PUFA in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids in hemodialyzed patients.

The primary objective of our research was to investigate the nutritional status in Belgrade schoolchildren (aged 12-15). The second objective was to compare the children and parents view about the children nutritional status. The study was carried out in two phases: (a) questionnaires for children and parents (questionnaire-c and questionnaire-p) were administrated; (b) anthropometrical measurement was conducted among children. There were 2263 participants, randomly chosen from seven Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro) primary schools. At the end of the study, 1555 children completed the questionnaires and had been measured. According to our results, there were 18.1% boys and 11.3% girls who were overweight/obese. Children were more objective in estimating their nutritional status than their parents. Although the participants were offered free counselling, low response rate of only 4.71% was achieved, suggesting that parents should take an active and unbiased role in children's nutritional education. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Background and aim: Hyperlipidemia is one of the major risk factors of cardiovascular complication in diabetes. High intake of soy product has been suggested to prevent cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if dietary supplement of soybean D-LeciVita product, rich in polyunsaturated phospholipids (with 12% lecithin, 35% soy protein) affects serum lipids and serum and erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods and results: Forty-seven patients (men and post-menopausal women) with isolated hypertriglyceridemia (IHTG) and combined hyperlipidemia (CHL), aged 4370 years, were given 15 g of D-LeciVita powder as a water suspension in a single evening dose during the follow-up period of 12 weeks. Patients kept their diabetic diet relatively constant. Treatment was associated with a significant (p lt = 0.001) decrease in serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels by 12% and 22%, respectively. LDL-chotesterol decreased by 16% and HDL-cholesterol increased by 11% (p lt = 0.001). Our study shows a 27% decrease in LDL-cholesterol (p lt = 0.001) and a 12% increase in HDL-cholesterol (p lt = 0.01) in CHL type 2 diabetic patients. Triglyceride levels decreased in type 2 diabetic patients with IHTG and CHL by 29% and 13%, respectively (p lt = 0.01 and p lt = 0.05). Our results show decrease in SFA and increase in n-6 and n-3 PUFA in serum and erythrocyte phospholipids. SFA decreased and n-3 PUFA increased in serum and erythrocyte phospholipids in IHTG and CHL groups. Conclusion: The present study indicated that added to a regular diet, soybean D-LeciVita product (combination of soy protein and lecithin) is associated not only with lipid-lowering effects but also with more favorable serum phospholipids fatty acid profile in type 2 diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia. (C ) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Premature failure or damage of parts and components of the oil and gas well piping, as well as pipelines for transport of oil and gas, are generally caused by the simultaneous influence of a large number of technological, metallurgical, structural and exploitation factors. Therefore, the convenient structural solutions, which provide the mechanical safety of parts and integrity of structures, can be realized only through total comprehension of their behavior in various operation regimes. Importance of technical diagnostics for monitoring and state analysis of welded pipes/pipelines in oil industry is considered in this paper. An analysis of causes of the welded pipes failures in exploitation has been performed through use of the fault tree analysis. Based on the suggested structure of a database, regarding the causes of failure, possibilities are presented to set measures for prevention of damage and failure of welded pipes/pipelines and for extension of their service life. A suggestion for improvement of the organizational scheme for monitoring the state and maintenance of welded pipes/pipelines during the exploitation has been made, as well.