Activities of antioxidative enzymes during Chenopodium rubrum L. ontogenesis in vitro

For the short-day plant Chenopodium rubrum, a 14 h/10 h photoperiod is inductive for flowering, while continuous light (CL) is noninductive. Plants of one group were grown continuously under ail inductive photoperiod, while in the other group flowering induction was delayed by 17 days of CL in order to separate oil the time scale different developmental phases in plants of the same age. Regardless of the photoperiodic conditions the plants were exposed to, seed maturation occurred in 10 weeks. Activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) were determined in different phases of development (vegetative growth, flowering, seed development, and maturation). The activities of antioxidative enzymes depended on both the phase of development and the photoperiod. In plants grown continuously under an inductive photoperiod, high CAT and POD activities were detected at the time of flowering and decreased during seed development and maturation. In plants in which flowering induction was delayed by 17 days of CL, the activities of POD and SOD were lowest in the vegetative phase of development and attained maximum values in the phase of seed maturation. In both groups of plants, the highest CAT activity was measured at the time of flowering

OD PREOKUPIRAJUĆEG VEZIVANJA DO DEPRESIJE: SERIJSKI MEDIJACIJSKI MODEL NA UZORKU ŽENA

Existing studies have confirmed the existence of a connection between depressive symptoms and insecure attachment, an undeveloped ability to mentalize, social anxiety and rumination, as well as their increasingly more frequent presence in the population of women. However, none of the studies have analyzed the mutual relations between the aforementioned phenomena. In this study we tested a multiple serial mediation model in which a preoccupied attachment style has an effect on depressive symptoms among women, mediated by the ability to mentalize one’s own state of mind, social anxiety and a tendency towards rumination, successively, in that order. The research was carried out on a geographical cluster sample and included 1258 working-age adults, respondents from 37 urban and rural locations, 20 administrative districts of Serbia, from which a sample of women was extracted (N= 791). The Relationships Questionnaire – RQ (Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991), the Mentalization Scale – MentS (Dimitrijević et al., 2015), the Scale of Social Anxiety (Tovilović, 2004) and the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire – RTSQ; Brinker and Dozois, 2009) were all used in the study. The results have indicated that there is a significant specific indirect effect of the preoccupied attachment style on depression mediated by all three mediators sequentially (estimated indirect effect=.004, boot-strapped 95% CI=.002 - .007), suggesting that the preoccupied attachment style has an effect on depression by leading to a decrease in the ability to mentalize one’s own state of mind, which increases social anxiety, in turn leading to an increase in rumination, which ultimately leads to depression. These findings could be of importance for the treatment of a specific group of female patients with a preoccupied attachment style who suffer from depression.Postojeće studije potvrdile su postojanje povezanosti između simptoma depresije i nesigurnog vezivanja, nerazvijene sposobnosti za mentalizaciju, socijalne anksioznosti i ruminacije, kao i njihovu sve češću prisutnost u ženskoj populaciji. Ipak, nijedna studija nije analizirala uzajamne odnose između navedenih pojava. U ovom istraživanju testirali smo višestruki serijski medijacijski model u kojem preokupirajući stil vezivanja ima učinak na simptome depresije kod žena, kojima posreduju sposobnost mentalizacije vlastitog stanja uma, socijalna anksioznost i sklonost ruminaciji, redom i tim redoslijedom. Istraživanje je provedeno na geografskom klasterskom uzorku i uključilo je 1258 radno sposobnih odraslih osoba, ispitanika iz 37 urbanih i ruralnih lokacija iz 20 upravnih okruga Srbije, iz kojeg je izdvojen uzorak žena (N=791). U istraživanju su korišteni Upitnik o odnosima – The Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991), Upitnik za procjenu mentalizacije – the Mentalization Scale - MentS (Dimitrijević et al., 2015), Skala socijalne anksioznosti – the Scale of Social Anxiety (Tovilović, 2004) i Skala ruminativnog stila mišljenja – the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire – RTSQ (Brinker & Dozois, 2009). Rezultati ukazuju da postoji značajan specifični neizravni učinak preokupirajućeg stila vezivanja na depresiju kojem posreduju sva tri medijatora redom (procijenjeni neizravni učinak =,004, samodopunjavanje 95% CI=,002 - ,007), što ukazuje da preokupirani stil vezivanja ima učinak na depresiju jer vodi do smanjivanja sposobnosti mentalizacije vlastitog stanja uma, što povećava socijalnu anksioznost, te zatim vodi do povećane ruminacije i naposljetku do depresije. Ovi zaključci mogli bi biti od važnosti za liječenje specifične grupe pacijentica s preokupiranim stilom vezivanja koje boluju od depresije

CFTR gene analysis in patient with atypical cystic fibrosis

U ovom radu je prikazan slučaj atipične cistične fibroze sa graničnom vrednošću znojnog testa. U većini slučajeva znojni test je glavni dijagnostički parametar za dijagnostikovanje cistične fibroze, ali se dijagnoza može potvrditi samo na osnovu rezultata molekularno-genetičkog testiranja. Utvrđeno je da je pacijent složeni heterozigot za dve CFTR mutacije, F508del i D1152H. Prisustvo mutacije F508del detektovano je PSM metodom, dok je za analizu prisustva druge mutacije korišćena DGGE metoda. Strategija detekcije mutacija kod pacijenata sa cističnom fibrozom, naročito onih sa atipičnim prezentacijama bolesti koji nose ređe mutacije, trebalo bi da uključuje i direktne i indirektne metode molekularne dijagnostike.This paper reports a case of a patient presenting with atypical cystic fibrosis whose sweat test shows borderline values. In vast majority of cases the sweat test is essential diagnostic tool for establishing the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, but only after the molecular genetic testing the diagnosis can be confirmed. The patient was found to be compound heterozygote for two CFTR mutations, F508del and D1152H. The presence of F508del mutation was analyzed by PSM method, while the screening for the second mutation was performed using DGGE. The strategy of mutation detection in cystic fibrosis patients, especially those with atypical presentations who carry less frequent mutations, should include both direct and indirect methods of molecular diagnostics

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT BETWEEN PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITHOUT DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: A META-ANALYSIS

Ovo metaanalitičko istraživanje provedeno je s ciljem integriranja nalaza dobivenih u pojedinačnim istraživanjima koja su se bavila ispitivanjem razlika u subjektivnoj procjeni kvalitete života između roditelja djece s teškoćama u razvoju i roditelja djece bez teškoća u razvoju, odnosno opće populacije. Metaanaliza je provedena na uzorku od 14 pojedinačnih istraživanja i sadržavala je 2 088 ispitanika iz grupe roditelja djece s teškoćama u razvoju, 783 ispitanika roditelja djece bez teškoća u razvoju u sedam istraživanja, dok su se u preostalih sedam istraživanja za usporedbu koristile norme izgrađene na osnovi rezultata populacije bez invaliditeta za dano geografsko područje. Vrijednost standardizirane razlike između aritmetičkih sredina je d = -0,24 i pokazuje nam da postoji statistički značajna razlika, male veličine, između roditelja djece s teškoćama u razvoju i roditelja djece bez teškoća u razvoju, odnosno populacije bez invaliditeta, u pogledu subjektivne procjene kvalitete života (z = -2,06, p < 0,05), pri čemu je lošija kvaliteta života roditelja djece s teškoćama u razvoju. Pokazalo se da unutar grupe roditelja djece s teškoćama u razvoju ne postoji razlika u subjektivnoj procjeni kvalitete života između majki i očeva. Rezultati ovog istraživanja ukazuju na postojanje potrebe za razvojem boljih i specifičnijih intervencija namijenjenih pomoći i podršci ovoj grupi korisnika, ali treba imati u vidu ograničenja proizašla iz metodologije ovog rada, te se budućim istraživačima upućuje preporuka da isprave nedostatke ovog istraživanja kako bi se unaprijedile kvaliteta i valjanost nalaza.This meta-analysis was conducted with the aim of integrating the results of individual studies concerning differences in subjective quality of life assessment of parents of children with developmental disabilities and parents of children without developmental disabilities or the general population. The meta-analysis was conducted on a sample of 14 individual studies and covered 2088 parents of children with developmental disabilities and 783 parents of children without disabilities across seven studies, while the remaining seven studies were compared against standards based on results for the population without disabilities for a given geographical area. The standardized difference score between arithmetic means is d=0.24 and points to a statistically significant difference of low intensity between parents of children with developmental disabilities and parents of children without developmental disabilities or population without disabilities in terms of the subjective quality of life assessment (z= -2.06, p= 0.039) with the quality of life rated lower by parents of children with developmental disabilities. Within the group of parents of children with developmental disabilities no difference in the quality of life assessment was established between mothers and fathers. The results of the study indicate the need for developing better and more focused interventions aimed at providing support and assistance to this group. However, it should be kept in mind that this study has methodology-related limitations and future researchers are therefore advised to address the shortcomings of this study in order to improve the quality and validity of results

The frequency of sister chromatid exchange and micronuclei in evaluation of cytogenetic activity of Kombucha on human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Kombucha is a refreshing beverage obtained by the fermentation of sweetened black tea with a “tea fungus” (symbiotic culture of acetic acid bacteria and yeasts). It is consumed due to its potential beneficial effects on human health. The aim of this study was to investigate activity of Kombucha on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. We analyzed Kombucha made from different substrates: Camellia sinensis and Satureja montana, and effects of substrates alone. The frequencies of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and micronuclei (MN) were scored as genetic endpoints and mitomycin C was used as model mutagen. Kombucha from Camellia sinensis and Camellia sinensis substrate increased frequency of MN and SCE on mitomycin C-treated and -untreated peripheral blood lymphocytes. However, Kombucha from Satureja montana reduced incidence of MN on mitomycin C-treated and -untreated peripheral blood lymphocytes, while SCE frequency was higher than control value. In our pilot study we showed for the first time that Kombucha from different substrates induced different effects on mitomycin C-treated and -untreated peripheral blood lymphocytes

Influence of air pollution on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Niš, Serbia

Background/Aim. In studies that investigate the health effects of short-term air pollution exposure, population-wide changes in acute outcomes such as mortality, hospital admissions and healthcare visits are linked to short-term variations in ambient pollutant concentrations. The aim of this study was to estimate the association between daily outdoor black smoke and sulphur dioxide levels and hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Niš, within a period 2001-2005. Methods. A time series analysis was performed using separated regression models for each pollutant and disease group, by age groups and population as a whole. The effects of copollutant, meteorological factors and cyclic oscillations in hospitalization numbers were controlled. Results. A significant increase in hospital admissions was associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in the concentration of black smoke, for cardiovascular diseases: 3.14% (&lt; 0.01) in children and youth under 19 years of age, 1.85% (&lt; 0.001) in 19-64 age group, and 0.84% (&lt; 0.05) in all ages, and for respiratory diseases: 1.77% (&lt; 0.05) in 19-64 age group, and 0.91% (&lt; 0.05) in all ages. The effects on hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in children and youth under 19 years of age, and for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in the elderly were not statistically significant. The increase of sulphur dioxide level was associated with the increased number of hospitalizations, for both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in all age groups, but the influence was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Outdoor pollutants concentrations in urban area of Niš were below regulated limit values during most of the investigated period days but it is shown that even such a level of pollution has a significant effect on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases

Novel insights to the anti-proliferative activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) co-treatment

The aim of this study was to characterize volatile and non-volatile compounds of rosemary from the North Adriatic region and to determine its antiproliferative activity, alone or in combination with radiomimetic bleomycin (BLM) on three malignant and one non-transformed human cell lines. Chemi-cal analysis of the volatile compounds revealed the presence of monoterpenes (93.8%), among which 1.8-cineol (32.9%) and camphor (15.5%) were the dominant compounds. Also, obtained results showed that the major polyphenolic constituents in rosemary extract were phenolic acids (rosmarinic acid and its derivatives up to 69.2 mg 100 g -1), as well as flavones and flavonols in the following order: lute-olin>isorhamnetin>quercetin>kaempferol>apigenin. Cell growth tests showed that rosemary extract alone exerted moderate antiproliferative activity, as well as a synergistic antiproliferative effect with bleomycin (EC 50 344.3-461.5 µg mL -1 and 58.6-292 µg mL -1 , respectively). The anti-tumor effect of rosemary extract in combination with BLM was much stronger, compared to BLM itself on the breast cancer cells. Through its proposed sensitizing effect, rosemary extract, in combination with the standard chemotherapeutics, could be used for the investigations of possible therapeutic modalities

Electrochemical Crosslinking of Alginate—Towards Doped Carbons for Oxygen Reduction

Electrochemical crosslinking of alginate strands by in situ iron oxidation was explored using a potentiostatic regime. Carbon-based materials co-doped with iron, nitrogen, and/or sulfur were prepared via electrolyte composition variation with a nitrogen-rich compound (rivanol) or through post-treatments with sodium sulfide. Nanometer-sized iron particles were confirmed by transmission and field emission scanning electron microscopy in all samples as a consequence of the homogeneous dispersion of iron in the alginate scaffold and its concomitant growth-limiting effect of alginate chains. Raman spectra confirmed a rise in structural disorder with rivanol/Na2S treatment, which points to more defect sites and edges known to be active sites for oxygen reduction. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the presence of different iron, nitrogen, and sulfur species, with a marked difference between Na2S treated/untreated samples. The most positive onset potential (−0.26 V vs. saturated calomel electrode, SCE) was evidenced for the sample co-doped with N, S, and Fe, surpassing the activity of those with single and/or double doping. The mechanism of oxygen reduction in 0.1 M KOH was dominated by the 2e− reduction pathway at low overpotentials and shifted towards complete 4e− reduction at the most negative explored values. The presented results put forward electrochemically formed alginate gels functionalized by homogeneously dispersed multivalent cations as an excellent starting point in nanomaterial design and engineering