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The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) exert multiple cardioprotective effects, influencing inflammation, platelet activation, endothelial function and lipid metabolism, besides their well-established triglyceride lowering properties. It is not uncommon for omega-3 PUFAs to be prescribed for hypertriglyceridemia, alongside antiplatelet therapy in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. In this regard, we studied the effect of EPA and DHA, in combination with antiplatelet drugs, in platelet aggregation and P-selectin and αIIbβ3 membrane expression. The antiplatelet drugs aspirin and triflusal, inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1); ticagrelor, an inhibitor of the receptor P2Y12; vorapaxar, an inhibitor of the PAR-1 receptor, were combined with DHA or EPA and evaluated against in vitro platelet aggregation induced by agonists arachidonic acid (AA), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and TRAP-6. We further investigated procaspase-activating compound 1 (PAC-1) binding and P-selectin membrane expression in platelets stimulated with ADP and TRAP-6. Both DHA and EPA displayed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by AA, ADP and TRAP-6. In platelet aggregation induced by AA, DHA significantly improved acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and triflusal's inhibitory activity, while EPA enhanced the inhibitory effect of ASA. In combination with EPA, ASA and ticagrelor expressed an increased inhibitory effect towards ADP-induced platelet activation. Both fatty acids could not improve the inhibitory effect of vorapaxar on AA- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation. In the presence of EPA, all antiplatelet drugs displayed a stronger inhibitory effect towards TRAP-6-induced platelet activation. Both omega-3 PUFAs inhibited the membrane expression of αIIbβ3, though they had no effect on P-selectin expression induced by ADP or TRAP-6. The antiplatelet drugs exhibited heterogeneity regarding their effect on P-selectin and αIIbβ3 membrane expression, while both omega-3 PUFAs inhibited the membrane expression of αIIbβ3, though had no effect on P-selectin expression induced by ADP or TRAP-6. The combinatory effect of DHA and EPA with the antiplatelet drugs did not result in enhanced inhibitory activity compared to the sum of the individual effects of each component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a hybrid text summarization technique designed to enhance the analysis of qualitative feedback from online educational surveys. The technique was implemented at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) to tackle the challenges of processing large volumes of student feedback. The TextRank and Walktrap algorithms along with GPT-4o mini were used to analyze student comments regarding positive experiences, study challenges, and suggestions for improvement. The results indicate that students are satisfied with tutor–student interactions but concerns were raised about educational content and scheduling issues. To evaluate the proposed summarization approach, the G-Eval and DeepEval summarization metrics were employed, assessing the relevance, coherence, consistency, fluency, alignment, and coverage of the summaries. This research addresses the increasing demand for effective qualitative data analysis in higher education and contributes to ongoing discussions on student feedback in distance learning environments. By effectively summarizing open-ended responses, universities can better understand student experiences and make informed decisions to improve the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation and oxidative stress conditions lead to a variety of oxidative modifications of lipoprotein phospholipids implicated in the occurrence and development of atherosclerotic lesions. Lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 (Lp‐PLA2) is established as an independent risk biomarker of atherosclerosis‐related cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and mediates vascular inflammation through the regulation of lipid metabolism in the blood and in atherosclerotic lesions. Lp‐PLA2 is associated with low‐ and high‐density lipoproteins and Lipoprotein (a) in human plasma and specifically hydrolyzes oxidized phospholipids involved in oxidative stress modification. Several oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) subspecies can be detoxified through enzymatic degradation by Lp‐PLA2 activation, forming lysophospholipids and oxidized non‐esterified fatty acids (OxNEFAs). Lysophospholipids promote the expression of adhesion molecules, stimulate cytokines production (TNF‐α, IL‐6), and attract macrophages to the arterial intima. The present review article discusses new data on the functional roles of OxPLs and Lp‐PLA2 associated with lipoproteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation and oxidative stress conditions lead to a variety of oxidative modifications of lipoprotein phospholipids implicated in the occurrence and development of atherosclerotic lesions. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA 2 ) is established as an independent risk biomarker of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and mediates vascular inflammation through the regulation of lipid metabolism in the blood and in atherosclerotic lesions. Lp-PLA 2 is associated with low- and high-density lipoproteins and Lipoprotein (a) in human plasma and specifically hydrolyzes oxidized phospholipids involved in oxidative stress modification. Several oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) subspecies can be detoxified through enzymatic degradation by Lp-PLA 2 activation, forming lysophospholipids and oxidized non-esterified fatty acids (OxNEFAs). Lysophospholipids promote the expression of adhesion molecules, stimulate cytokines production (TNF-α, IL-6), and attract macrophages to the arterial intima. The present review article discusses new data on the functional roles of OxPLs and Lp-PLA 2 associated with lipoproteins., (© 2022 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)