Isoprostanes as potential cerebral vasospasm biomarkers

Despite enormous progress in medicine, symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (CVS), remains an unexplained clinical problem, which leaves both physicians and patients helpless and relying on chance, due to the lack of specific marker indicative of imminent danger as well as the lack of specific treatment. In our opinion CVS occurrence depends on dynamic disbalance between free radicals' formation (oxidative stress) and antioxidant activity. Isoprostanes are products of free-radical peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and seem to mark a promising path for the research aiming to unravel its possible mechanism. Not only are they the biomarkers of oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro, but also have manifold biological effects (including vasoactive, inflammatory and mitogenic) via activation of the thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R), both in physiological and pathophysiological processes. This review addresses the importance of isoprostanes in CVS in quest of appropriate biomarkers

Thermal and thermo-catalytic degradation of polyolefins as a simple and efficient method of landfill clearing

Thermal degradation of the low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and the municipal waste plastics was investigated. The thermo-catalytic degradation of LDPE and PP was studied in the presence of the following catalysts: four different types of montmorillonite: K5, K10, K20, K30 and – for comparison – zeolites (natural – clinoptilolite, Y Na+ and YH+). Thermal analyses TG-DTA-MS of polymers and polymercatalyst mixtures were carried out in an argon flow atmosphere in isothermal and dynamic conditions. The following order was found: in lowering the reaction temperature for LDPE degradation YH+> mK5 > mK20 = mK30 >mK10 > NZ > YNa+; for PP degradation: mK20 > mK5 = mK30 >mK10 > YH+> NZ >YNa+. The activity tests were carried out in a stainless steel batch reactor under atmospheric pressure in a wide temperature range of up to 410°C, and using the atmosphere of argon flow. The liquid products were analysed by the GC-MS method. The hydrocarbons in the liquid products from thermal degradation of polymers were broadly distributed in the carbon fractions of C8 to C26 – for LDPE and C6 to C31for PP

Thermal and thermo-catalytic degradation of polyolefins as a simple and efficient method of landfill clearing

Thermal degradation of the low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and the municipal waste plastics was investigated. The thermo-catalytic degradation of LDPE and PP was studied in the presence of the following catalysts: four different types of montmorillonite: K5, K10, K20, K30 and – for comparison – zeolites (natural – clinoptilolite, Y Na+ and YH+). Thermal analyses TG-DTA-MS of polymers and polymercatalyst mixtures were carried out in an argon flow atmosphere in isothermal and dynamic conditions. The following order was found: in lowering the reaction temperature for LDPE degradation YH+> mK5 > mK20 = mK30 >mK10 > NZ > YNa+; for PP degradation: mK20 > mK5 = mK30 >mK10 > YH+> NZ >YNa+. The activity tests were carried out in a stainless steel batch reactor under atmospheric pressure in a wide temperature range of up to 410°C, and using the atmosphere of argon flow. The liquid products were analysed by the GC-MS method. The hydrocarbons in the liquid products from thermal degradation of polymers were broadly distributed in the carbon fractions of C8 to C26 – for LDPE and C6 to C31for PP

Importance of Nutrition Intervention in Autistic Patients

Along with the issues of inflated social and financial burden associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific treatment for this disorder has also not been developed. Having a thorough look at previous trials done to treat autism, we find that nutrition intervention had been used frequently as a complementary form of therapy. Indeed, an early diagnosis of nutrition deficiency and metabolic disorders done concomitantly with accurate therapeutic interventions can be a cornerstone for improving cognitive and behavioral aptitudes of people with autism. Several studies have showed that increasing the intake of specific nutrients can reduce the symptoms and comorbidities associated with autism. Consequently, nutrition intervention and appropriate supplementation can be crucial in managing and treating autism. This paper will discuss recent literature on the significance of metabolic aspects in autistic disorder and highlight the influence of nutrition intervention on the symptoms of autism

Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July 11, 2016, the reported average incidence of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 1 in 68 (1.46%) among 8-year-old children born in 2004 and living within the 11 monitoring sites’ surveillance areas in the United States of America (USA) in 2012. ASD is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder that is also considered a hidden disability, as, for the most part; there are no apparent morphological differences between children with ASD and typically developing children. ASD is diagnosed based upon a triad of features including impairment in socialization, impairment in language, and repetitive and stereotypic behaviors. The increasing incidence of ASD in the pediatric population and the lack of successful curative therapies make ASD one of the most challenging disorders for medicine. ASD neurobiology is thought to be associated with oxidative stress, as shown by increased levels of reactive oxygen species and increased lipid peroxidation, as well as an increase in other indicators of oxidative stress. Children with ASD diagnosis are considered more vulnerable to oxidative stress because of their imbalance in intracellular and extracellular glutathione levels and decreased glutathione reserve capacity. Several studies have suggested that the redox imbalance and oxidative stress are integral parts of ASD pathophysiology. As such, early assessment and treatment of antioxidant status may result in a better prognosis as it could decrease the oxidative stress in the brain before it can induce more irreversible brain damage. In this review, many aspects of the role of oxidative stress in ASD are discussed, taking into account that the process of oxidative stress may be a target for therapeutic interventions. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature