Physician/Patient Differences in the Perception of Asthma: Impact on Everyday Life and Level of the Asthma Control in Croatia

The aim of the study was to compare physician/patient differences in the perception of asthma. The data were obtained by questionnaires from 156 physicians and 148 asthmatics in four urban regions in Croatia. On a »bad day«, 62% of physicians and 16% of patients perceived respiratory symptoms with statistically significant difference. The patients described asthma impact in terms of reduced daily activities and experienced emotional problems. Asthma was estimated as controlled in 28% of adults and 49% of children, nevertheless, 45% of adults and 22% of children reported respiratory symptoms. The patients seem to be satisfied with asthma control that does not correspond to suppression of symptoms, whereas physicians neglect patients’ emotional problems and asthma impact on everyday life. The differences in the perception of asthma may reflect differences in beliefs about health. Physicians see health as an absence of symptoms, whereas patients regard being healthy as »being able«

Bioraznolikost mikrobnih konzorcija izoliranih iz tradicionalnog svježeg ovčjeg sira Karakačanski skakutanac

The aim of this study was to assess the structure of indigenous microbial community associated with traditional fresh sheep cheese Karakačanski skakutanac and to preserve autochthonous microbial consortia. Eleven cheeses were sampled during production season (April-September) and subjected to microbiological analysis. Bacterial DNA was isolated by Maxwell®16 DNA system from 99 microbial consortia harvested from three culture media (M17, Rogosa, CATC) on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd day of the cheese shelf life. The extracted bulk DNA (n = 99) was used as a template for PCR-ARDRA and PCR-DGGE analysis. There were no dramatic shifts in the bacterial number and structure of the microbial consortia harvested on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd day of the cheese shelf life neither during period of sampling. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis reached the number of 107-108 CFU g-1, while Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Enterococcus faecalis, and Lactobacillus versmoldensis were identified only at lower dilutions (10-2 - 10-3). This first polyphasic microbiological-molecular study of the Karakačanski skakutanac indicated the main LAB representatives associated with the cheese. Obtained autochthonous microbial consortia present a valuable pool of strains for further genetic and functional characterizations.Cilj ovog rada bio je analizirati strukturu mikrobnih konzorcija tradicionalnog svježeg ovčjeg sira Karakačanski skakutanac. Jedanaest sireva sakupljeno je tijekom sezone proizvodnje od travnja do rujna. Mikrobni konzorciji sakupljeni su sa 3 hranjive podloge (M17, Rogosa, CATC) od 11 sireva nakon prvog, drugog, i trećeg dana proizvodnje. Mikrobna DNA je izolirana iz 99 konzorcija, te korištena u PCR-ARDRA i PCR-DGGE analizi. Nije bilo promjene u strukturi mikrobnih konzorcija sakupljenih prvog, drugog i trećeg dana nakon proizvodnje, niti tijekom sezone. Utvrđena je dominantnost populacije Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (107-108 CFU g-1), dok su ostale vrste bakterija mliječne kiseline, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Enterococcus faecalis i Lactobacillus versmoldensis, identificirane samo na nižim razrjeđenjima (10-2-10-3). Ova prva mikrobiološko- molekularna analiza tradicionalnog sira Karakačanski skakutanac omogućila je uvid u strukturu njegove specifične mikrobne populacije. Sakupljeni mikrobni konzorciji predstavljaju značajan izvor sojeva za daljnju genetsku i funkcionalnu karakterizaciju

The influence of different doses of γ-radiation on the hydrolytic stability of modified urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins

Zbog emisije formaldehida (CH2 O) iz drvenih proizvoda, gde se urea- formaldehidne (UF) smole, između ostalog, koriste za impregnaciju drvenih panela koje se koriste u unutrašnjosti stambenih i drugih objekata poželjno je da procenat slobodnog formaldehida (CH2 O) u samoj smoli bude što manji, jer je poznato da formaldehid ima štetno dejstvo na čoveka, odnosno ceo živi svet. Pare formaldehida jako nadražuju disajne puteve. Koncentracije od 10-20 ppm otežavaju disanje, a koncentracije od 650 ppm mogu uzrokovati i smrt za samo nekoliko minuta. Često udisanje para niskih koncentracija mogu uzrokovati hronična oboljenja disajnih puteva. Simptomi i granice su individualni i javljaju se u širokim granicama izloženosti. Pojedine osobe mogu da osete simptome, kao što su iritacija očiju, grla, umor, glavobolja i mučnina, usled izloženosti i niskoj koncentaciji formaldehida (0.1 do 1 ppm). Osim slobodnog formaldehida, u samoj smoli, koji se spontano emituje, zbog niske otpornosti na vlagu, može doći do hidrolize UF smole što podrazumeva raskidanje samih veza u smoli (metilenetarskih) i dodatne emisije formaldehida u okolinu [1,2]. U ovom radu je ispitivana hidrolitička stabilnost modifikovanih UF smola sa “hvatačima” formaldehida, TiO2 sa različitim sadržajem (3,75 g i 7,25 g) u UF smoli i kombinacijom TiO2 i drvnog brašna (TiO2 /DB) u ekvimolarnim količinama. Tri modifikovane UF smole s odnosom formaldehida i uree (F/U) 0.8 s modifikovanim punilima su sintetizovani istim postupkom [3]. Hidrolitička stabilnost ispitivanih modifikovanih UF smola je određivana merenjem koncentracije oslobođenog formaldehida [4] iz modifikovane UF smole nakon kisele hidrolize. Zračenje sintetisanih modifikovanih smola je vršeno u vazdušnoj atmosferi u Co-60 radijacionoj jedinici na Institutu za nuklearne nauke, Vinča, Srbija. Uzorci smola su zračeni γ–zračenjem na sobnoj temperaturi i ukupnom apsorbovanom dozom od 50 kGy i 100 kGy [5]. Pre zračenja najmanji procenat slobodnog formaldehida (0.06%) imaju uzorci koji su modifikovani TiO2 . Usled γ-zračenja dolazi do degradacije makromolekula što uzrokuje povećanje slobodnog formaldehida u zračenim uzorcima u odnosu na nezračene. Povećanje doze zračenja sa 50 kGy na 100 kGy dovodi do smanjenja količine slobodnog formaldehida u umreženoj UF smoli. Najmanji procenat slobodnog formaldehida nakon zračenja sa ukupnom apsorbovanom dozom od 100 kGy nalazi se u UF smoli koja sadrži 100% TiO2 u količini od 0.12%. S druge strane i drvno brašno koje sadrži celulozu i hemicelulozu ima veliki broj hidroksilnih grupa, takođe reaguje sa slobodnim formaldehidom iz UF smole. γ-zračenjem je smanjen procenat oslobođenog formaldehida u svim ispitivanim modifikovanim UF smolama, posebno kod uzoraka smole sa TiO2 u količini od 100% u izosu od 0.25%. To se objašnjava činjenicom da kisela hidroliza nakon zračenja dovodi do dodatnog umrežavanja u svim uzorcima, što rezultuje „hvatanjem“ formaldehida u toku samog procesa hidrolize. Uzorci ispitivane kompozitne smole sa TiO2 /DB pokazuju lošiju hidrolitičku stabilnot zbog povećane interakcije između hidroksilnih i karbonilnih grupa u drvnom brašnu i hidroksilnih grupa sa površine TiO2 , zbog čega dolazi do smanjene interakcije hibridnog punila sa polimernom matricom odnosno smanjuje se procenat slobodnih grupa koje bi inače reagovale sa formaldehidom i smanjile njegovu emisiju iz smole.8th Symposium Chemistry and Environmental Protection : May 30 - June 1, Kruševac, 2018

N-ftaloil-glicin-hidroksamska kiselina kao kelator željeza u serumu štakora

The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of N-phthaloyl-glycine-hydroxamic acid (Phth-Gly-HA) as a new iron chelator in vivo to be used in iron overload diseases. After intraperitoneal application of Phth-Gly-HA to male rats (1 mg kg1 body mass) once a day for seven days, iron serum level decreased by 21%, whereas the iron value dropped by 32% in female rats (1.5 mg kg1 body mass). The results indicate that the tested substance has the ability to bind serum iron by complexation. Besides transferrin iron release, mobilization of ferritin iron is also possibleU cilju pronalaženja novog efikasnog kelatora koji bi mogao poslužiti u liječenju bolesti izazvanih viškom željeza, u ovom je radu ispitano djelovanje N-ftaloil-glicin-hidroksamske kiseline (Phth-Gly-HA) in vivo. Istraživan je utjecaj kelatora na razinu željeza u serumu štakora nakon intraperitonealne primjene vodene otopine Phth-Gly-HA (0,1 mg mL1) jednom dnevno tijekom 7 dana. Kontrolne su životinje primale fiziološku otopinu. Kod mužjaka injektiranje test supstancije (1 mg kg1) uzrokovalo je pad serumskog željeza za 21%. Kod ženki je nakon tretmana (1,5 mg kg1) izmjereno sniženje razine željeza za 35%. Rezultati pokazuju da ispitivana supstanca ima sposobnost kompleksiranja serumskog željeza, pretežno transferinskog, ali da postoji mogućnost mobilizacije željeza i iz feritinskih zaliha

The Tongue Squamous Carcinoma Cell Line Cal27 Primarily Employs Integrin α6β4-Containing Type II Hemidesmosomes for Adhesion Which Contribute to Anticancer Drug Sensitivity

Integrins are heterodimeric cell surface glycoproteins used by cells to bind to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulate tumor cell proliferation, migration and survival. A causative relationship between integrin expression and resistance to anticancer drugs has been demonstrated in different tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Using a Cal27 tongue squamous cell carcinoma model, we have previously demonstrated that de novo expression of integrin αVβ3 confers resistance to several anticancer drugs (cisplatin, mitomycin C and doxorubicin) through a mechanism involving downregulation of active Src, increased cell migration and invasion. In the integrin αVβ3 expressing Cal27-derived cell clone 2B1, αVβ5 expression was also increased, but unrelated to drug resistance. To identify the integrin adhesion complex (IAC) components that contribute to the changes in Cal27 and 2B1 cell adhesion and anticancer drug resistance, we isolated IACs from both cell lines. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics analysis indicated that both cell lines preferentially, but not exclusively, use integrin α6β4, which is classically found in hemidesmosomes. The anticancer drug resistant cell clone 2B1 demonstrated an increased level of α6β4 accompanied with increased deposition of a laminin-332-containing ECM. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy demonstrated the formation of type II hemidesmosomes by both cell types. Furthermore, suppression of α6β4 expression in both lines conferred resistance to anticancer drugs through a mechanism independent of αVβ3, which implies that the cell clone 2B1 would have been even more resistant had the upregulation of α6β4 not occurred. Taken together, our results identify a key role for α6β4-containing type II hemidesmosomes in regulating anticancer drug sensitivity

Integrative epigenome-wide analysis demonstrates that DNA methylation may mediate genetic risk in inflammatory bowel disease

Epigenetic alterations may provide important insights into gene-environment interaction in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here we observe epigenome-wide DNA methylation differences in 240 newly-diagnosed IBD cases and 190 controls. These include 439 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and 5 differentially methylated regions (DMRs), which we study in detail using whole genome bisulphite sequencing. We replicate the top DMP (RPS6KA2) and DMRs (VMP1, ITGB2 and TXK) in an independent cohort. Using paired genetic and epigenetic data, we delineate methylation quantitative trait loci; VMP1/microRNA-21 methylation associates with two polymorphisms in linkage disequilibrium with a known IBD susceptibility variant. Separated cell data shows that IBD-associated hypermethylation within the TXK promoter region negatively correlates with gene expression in whole-blood and CD8+ T cells, but not other cell types. Thus, site-specific DNA methylation changes in IBD relate to underlying genotype and associate with cell-specific alteration in gene expression