Oxidative stress is reduced in Wistar rats exposed to smoke from tobacco and treated with specific broad-band pulse electromagnetic fields

There have been a number of attempts to reduce the oxidative radical burden of tobacco. A recently patented technology, pulse electromagnetic technology, has been shown to induce differential action of treated tobacco products versus untreated products on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo. In a 90-day respiratory toxicity study, Wistar rats were exposed to cigarette smoke from processed and unprocessed tobacco and biomarkers of oxidative stress were compared with pathohistological analysis of rat lungs. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was decreased in a dose-dependent manner to 81% in rats exposed to smoke from normal cigarettes compared to rats exposed to treated smoke or the control group. These results correspond to pathohistological analysis of rat lungs, in which those rats exposed to untreated smoke developed initial signs of emphysema, while rats exposed to treated smoke showed no pathology, as in the control group. The promise of inducing an improved health status in humans exposed to smoke from treated cigarettes merits further investigation

Modeliranje hrapavosti obrađene površine i optimiranje parametara obrade pri čeonom glodanju

The influence of cutting parameters on surface roughness in face milling has been examined. Cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut have been taken into consideration as the influential factors. A series of experiments have been carried out in accordance with a design of experiment (DOE). In order to obtain mathematical models that are able to predict surface roughness two different modeling approaches, namely regression analysis and neural networks, have been applied to experimentally determined data. Obtained results have been compared and neural network model gives better explanation of the observed physical system. Optimal cutting parameters have been found using simplex optimization algorithm.U ovom radu istražen je utjecaj parametara obrade (brzina rezanja, posmak i dubina rezanja) na hrapavost obrađene površine pri čeonom glodanju. Obavljen je niz pokusa u skladu sa planom eksperimenta. U cilju dobivanja matematičkog modela kojim se može predvidjeti hrapavost obrađene površine, eksperimentalni podaci obrađeni su metodologijom regresijske analize i neuronskih mreža. Uspoređeni su dobiveni rezultati i neuronska mreža daje bolji opis promatranog fizikalnog sustava. Primjenom simplex algoritma za optimiranje dobivene su optimalne vrijednosti ispitivanih parametara

Modeliranje hrapavosti obrađene površine i optimiranje parametara obrade pri čeonom glodanju

The influence of cutting parameters on surface roughness in face milling has been examined. Cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut have been taken into consideration as the influential factors. A series of experiments have been carried out in accordance with a design of experiment (DOE). In order to obtain mathematical models that are able to predict surface roughness two different modeling approaches, namely regression analysis and neural networks, have been applied to experimentally determined data. Obtained results have been compared and neural network model gives better explanation of the observed physical system. Optimal cutting parameters have been found using simplex optimization algorithm.U ovom radu istražen je utjecaj parametara obrade (brzina rezanja, posmak i dubina rezanja) na hrapavost obrađene površine pri čeonom glodanju. Obavljen je niz pokusa u skladu sa planom eksperimenta. U cilju dobivanja matematičkog modela kojim se može predvidjeti hrapavost obrađene površine, eksperimentalni podaci obrađeni su metodologijom regresijske analize i neuronskih mreža. Uspoređeni su dobiveni rezultati i neuronska mreža daje bolji opis promatranog fizikalnog sustava. Primjenom simplex algoritma za optimiranje dobivene su optimalne vrijednosti ispitivanih parametara

Development of bio-based chitosan films with incorporated chestnut extract

Hydrolysable tannins have prominent biological activity and thus their industrial application is gaining importance in many fields. This study explored the possibility for the utilization of a commercially available chestnut extract (CE) as an active component in chitosan-based films intended for food packaging. Therefore, a set of chitosan-based films with incorporated CE was prepared and evaluated regarding physicochemical properties. The estimated total phenolic content (TPC) has revealed a maximal value of 19.5 mgGAE gfilm-1. Moreover, the moisture content (MC) in the films has decreased (from 29.6% to 18.6%), while tensile strength (TS) has increased (from 13.5 MPa to 48.5 MPa) after the incorporation of CE. The observed coherence between TPC and evaluated properties has been confirmed by the existence of strong negative and positive linear correlations in the case of MC and TS, respectively. In large, CE extract was found to be a promising candidate as an active component in chitosan-based films

Biodegradability study of active chitosan biopolymer films enriched with Quercus polyphenol extract in different soil types

One of the recent trends within the circular economy is the development of materials derived from food processing waste and their utility as an alternative to plastic packaging. In this context, the study aims to evaluate biological causes of deterioration or degradation of chitosan-based films with and without incorporated natural Quercus polyphenol extract in three different types of soils (industrial compost, commercial garden soil, and soil from a vineyard). Degradation and active properties deterioration was followed by measurement of the loss of mass of tested active films for 14 days, and it was accompanied by other analytical techniques such as measurement of polyphenolic content, FT-IR analysis, and SEM examination of the packaging morphology. The results showed that chitosan-based film properties deteriorate in less than 3 days followed by biodegradation in all tested soils after 14 days. Films with incorporated Quercus polyphenol extract undergo deterioration of active properties in compost and garden soil in 6 days, while the fractionation and degradation process has not been complete in the vineyard soil during the 14 days. Furthermore, it has also been revealed that the addition of water to the soil decreased the rate of active chitosan film biodegradation in the terrestrial environment

Reduction in Spoilage Microbiota and Cyclopiazonic Acid Mycotoxin with Chestnut Extract Enriched Chitosan Packaging: Stability of Inoculated Gouda Cheese

Active chitosan-based films, blended with fibrous chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) tannin-rich extract were used to pack Gouda cheese that has been contaminated with spoilage microflora Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli, and fungi Penicillium commune. A comprehensive experimental plan including active chitosan-based films with (i) chestnut extract (CE), (ii) tannic acid (TA), and (iii) without additives was applied to evaluate the film′s effect on induced microbiological spoilage reduction and chemical indices of commercial Gouda cheese during 37 days while stored at 4 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The cheese underwent microbiology analysis and chemical assessments of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) (cyclopiazonic acid), pH, and moisture content. The biopackaging used for packing cheese was characterized by mechanical properties before food packaging and analyzed with the same chemical analysis. The cheese microbiology showed that the bacterial counts were most efficiently decreased by the film without additives. However, active films with CE and TA were more effective as they did not break down around the cheese and showed protective properties against mycotoxin, moisture loss, and pH changes. Films themselves, when next to high-fat content food, changed their pH to less acidic, acted as absorbers, and degraded without plant-derived additives

The X Files: “The Mystery of X Chromosome Instability in Alzheimer’s Disease”

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide and can occur relatively early or later in life. It is well known that genetic components, such as the amyloid precursor protein gene on chromosome 21, are fundamental in early-onset AD (EOAD). To date, however, only the apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) gene has been proved to be a genetic risk factor for late-onset AD (LOAD). In recent years, despite the hypothesis that many additional unidentified genes are likely to play a role in AD development, it is surprising that additional gene polymorphisms associated with LOAD have failed to come to light. In this review, we examine the role of X chromosome epigenetics and, based upon GWAS studies, the PCDHX11 gene. Furthermore, we explore other genetic risk factors of AD that involve X-chromosome epigenetics

Redox control of vascular biology

Redox control is lost when the antioxidant defense system cannot remove abnormally high concentrations of signaling molecules, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Chronically elevated levels of ROS cause oxidative stress that may eventually lead to cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we focus on redox effects in the vascular system. We pay close attention to the subcompartments of the vascular system (endothelium, smooth muscle cell layer) and give an overview of how redox changes influence those different compartments. We also review the core aspects of redox biology, cardiovascular physiology, and pathophysiology. Moreover, the topic-specific knowledgebase DES-RedoxVasc was used to develop two case studies, one focused on endothelial cells and the other on the vascular smooth muscle cells, as a starting point to possibly extend our knowledge of redox control in vascular biology. © 2019 The Authors. BioFactors published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The cult of St. Nicholas – changes through history and role in building the contemporary identity of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik je važan kulturni i vjerski topos na nacionalnom ozemlju, grad na svojevrsnom raskršću uljudbenih sustava, koji je, uz vjerski i državni kult sv. Vlaha, prepoznat i kao najjužniji grad s urbanim svjetovnim kultom viteza Orlanda. Ovim gradskim vjerskim i svjetovnim kultovima u Domovinskom se ratu pridružio i treći – kult sv. Nikole. Na dan sv. Nikole 6. siječnja 1991. godine zbio se najteži napad srpsko-crnogorskih agresora na grad, pa je stoga taj dan proglašen i Danom branitelja Dubrovnika. Vjerski kult sv. Nikole od 1991. godine dobiva tako posve novu dimenziju i priključuje se drugim urbanim simbolima Grada. Sv. Nikola postaje u suvremenoj memoriji Grada kult sveca zaštitnika branitelja Domovinskog rata. Ovdje se radi o posve jedinstvenom fenomenu u razvoju kulta sv. Nikole u svjetskim razmjerima, koji postaje antiratni svetac i svetac obranitelj. Cilj je ovoga rada, na interdisciplinaran način, kombinirajući povijesnu i sociološku perspektivu, steći prvi znanstveni uvid u međusobni odnos koncepata religijskog simbola, identiteta i zajednice na primjeru razvoja, promjene i značenja kulta sv. Nikole u Dubrovniku kroz povijesni kontinuitet do suvremenih zbivanja.The particularity of the Croatian national identity, seen through cultural and religious heritage, is in its diversity that reflects the Croatian centuries-old reality and various cultural and political influences. The position at the crossroads of civilizations and various influences have largely determined the nature of the Croatian national and religious heritage, which is an integral part of the Western European cultural circle. Dubrovnik is recognizable through its symbol - the Armenian saint St. Vlaho (Blasius), but also as the southernmost city with the urban secular cult of the knight Orlando. After the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik gained the third cult along with two existing ones – the cult of St. Nicholas. It should be noted that the cult of St. Nicholas was never an important cult during the past of the Dubrovnik Republic and was never on the state list of holidays, but it remained in the domain of professional and family saints. The cult of St. Nicholas from the Byzantine Bari expanded to Ragusium, then part of the Byzantine theme of Upper Dalmatia during the 11th and 12th centuries. Through intensive economic ties with the Italian south, during the Anjou dynasty, it was contaminated with the cult of Nicholas the Traveler and established into a recognizable cult of protector of sailors and travelers. The cult of St. Nicholas on the territory of the Dubrovnik Republic got extremely strong following the conjuncture of maritime affairs during the 15th and 16th centuries, and in the 18th century, which can be seen from the construction of churches, chapels, monasteries, altars and through the naming of sailing ships. St. Nicholas is also an identity symbol of the Dubrovnik diaspora in Kosovo in Janjevo. Today Dubrovnik\u27s community has a very specific notion of St. Nicholas as a symbol, because on that day, 6th of December 1991, the most severe attack on Dubrovnik took place by Serbian-Montenegrin aggressors, resulting in numerous human victims and material damage. The aim of this paper is, in an interdisciplinary way - combining historical and sociological perspective, to gain the first scientific insight into the relationship between the concepts of religious symbol, identity and community using the example of the cult of St. Nicholas in Dubrovnik. Research has shown that since 1991 St. Nicholas as a symbol has gained a whole new dimension on a semantic, value, emotional and ritual level. The cult of St. Nicholas thus has become in the modern memory of the city the cult of the patron saint of the Croatian War of Independence veterans. This is a completely unique phenomenon in the development of the cult of St. Nicholas which in this specific community has become an anti-war saint and a saint-defender

Response of the Adriatic Sea to the atmospheric anomaly in 2003

Unusual weather conditions over the southern Europe and the Mediterranean area in 2003 significantly impacted the oceanographic properties of the Adriatic Sea. To document these changes, both in the atmosphere and the sea, anomalies from the normal climate were calculated. The winter 2003 was extremely cold, whereas the spring/summer period was extremely warm. The air temperature in June was more than 3 standard deviations above the average. On the other hand, precipitation and river runoff were extremely low between February and August. The response of the sea was remarkable, especially in surface salinity during spring and summer, with values at least one standard deviation above the average. Analysis of thermohaline properties in the middle Adriatic showed the importance of two phenomena responsible for the occurrence of exceptionally high salinity: (1) enhanced inflow of saline Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) in the Adriatic, and (2) extremely low precipitation and river runoff, accompanied with strong evaporation. Two large-scale atmospheric indices: NAOI (North Atlantic Oscillation Index) and MOI (Mediterranean Oscillation Index), although generally correlated to the Adriatic climate, failed to describe anomalies in 2003. The air pressure gradients used for the definition of both indices significantly decreased in 2003 due to the presence of the high pressure areas over most of Europe and the northern Atlantic, and were actually responsible for the observed anomalies above and in the Adriatic