Variability of Photosynthetic Parameters Inselected Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)Varieties

The aim of this study was to explain the genetic variability of seven varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two varieties of triticale (hybrid wheat x rye) at unfertilized soil.The investigations included pigments content, leaf area, nitrogen content in the leaf, leaf and mesophyll thickness.Obtained results showed that there is a clear genetic variability in all tested components. Per study values for yield especially the prominent Lazarica genotype and both varieties hybrid species triticale – KG 20 and Knjaz,which also had the highest values for most parameters of productivity.Therefore, these genotypes of wheat can be recommend for organic production

Characteristics of Germination and Biomass Production of Ocimum Basilicum L. Cultured In Vitro

The aim of this study was to investigate impact of nutrient medium on sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in vitro germination, early growth and biomass acumulation. Two different nutrient media (MS and B5 full and half of strait), most commonly used in tissue culture, demonstrated different impact on sweet basil. According to the results, B5 medium significantly outperformed all other media used in this study. We suggest that B5 medium are better for a variety of uses in sweet basil biotechnology, research and production system

The development of resistance to tamoxifen in patients with breast cancer: our experience

Background: The study used data from medical and counselling of patients who were diagnosed with hormone-dependent breast cancer. Aim: The objective of the paper is to identify within a group of patients diagnosed with hormone sensitive breast cancer and those who have received adjuvant tamoxifen, and then to isolate the patients with whom the therapeutic effect of tamoxifen stopped (resistance to tamoxifen).Methods: The study analyzed 153 patients in the period from 2005 to 2011, at the Public Health Institution Hospital, Sveti Vračevi" in Bijeljina. Resistance to tamoxifen was developed by 60 patients (39.2%) and 93 patients (60.8%) did not develop resistance to it.Results: More common emergence of resistance is in the premenopausal group of patients (p<0.001). Statistically significant difference in frequency of resistance to tamoxifen was observed in the group of patients with ER-/PrR+ status of steroid receptors (p<0.001). In relation to HER-2 status of diagnosed cancer, a statistically significant difference in frequency of resistance emergence during tamoxifen therapy in patients with HER2-positive status (p<0.001) was observed. We found that there is a statistically significant difference between patients with metastatic in lymph nodes compared to patients who had no metastases in lymph nodes (X2=39.494; p<0.001).Conclusions: The analysis of menopausal status of patients, status of ER/PgR receptors status, HER-2 status of diagnosed cancer and status of lymph nodes trying to sort out the parameters on the basis of which a group of patients who can be expected to develop resistance to tamoxifen could be differentiated

Antioksidativna aktivnost vrsta Mentha longifolia, M. piperita i M. pulegium (Lamiaceae)

The aim of this study was to determine the quantity of total phenolics including flavonoids, as well as the antioxidant activity of extracts from the aboveground parts from species of the genus Mentha L. (M.piperita, M.pulegium and M.longifolia). The tested plant species characterized high content of secondary metabolites. In addition, correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity is observed. The highest concentration of flavonoids was obtained in acethonic extracts. The highest content of total fenolics, as well as highest antioxidant activity was recorded in methanolic extracts from M. pulegium. The species M. piperita, M. pulegium i M. longifolia can be regarded as promising sources of components with biological properties.Cilj istraživanja je utvrđivanje količine ukupnih fenolnih jedinjenja, kao i flavonoida i antioksidativne aktivnosti ekstrakata nadzemnih delova odabranih vrsta roda Mentha L. (M. piperita, M. pulegium i M. longifolia). Vrste karakteriše visoka koncentracija sekundarnih metabolita, pri čemu je uočena veza izmedju količine fenolnih jedinjenja i antioksidativne aktivnosti. Najveća količina flavonoida dobijena je u acetonskim ekstraktima ispitivanih vrsta. Najveća količina ukupnih fenola, takođe i najveća antioksidativna aktivnost, zabeležena je u metanolnom ekstraktu vrste M. pulegium. Vrste M. piperita, M. pulegium i M. longifolia mogu se smatrati značajnim izvorima bioaktivnih komponenti

Biološka aktivnost vrste Petrorhagia Saxifraga (L.) Link (Caryophyllaceae)

Antioxidant activity, total concentration of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were analyzed in water, methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the species Petrorhagia saxifraga. Total concentration of phenolics ranged from 41,21 to 48,50 mg GA/g of the extract. The concentration of flavonoids varied from 24,64 to 69,67 mg RU/g of the extract. The greatest quantity of phenolic compounds was observed in the ethyl acetate extract, whereas the analyses showed that the methanolic extract contained the highest concentration of flavonoids. The values for antioxidant activity ranged from 874,56 to 672,33 µg/ml. The highest IC50 values were observed in the ethyl acetate extract.Antioksidativna aktivnost, količina ukupnih fenolnih jedinjenja i flavonoida analizirani su spektrofotometrijskim metodama u vodenom, metanolnom i etil acetatnom ekstraktu vrste Petrorhagia saxifraga (L.) Link (Caryophyllaceae). Količina ukupnih fenolnih jedinjenja je u opsegu od 41,21 do 48,50 mg GA/g ekstrakta. Koncentracija flavonoida je opsegu od 24,64 do 69,67 mg RU/g ekstrakta. Najveća količina ukupnih fenolnih jedinjenja izmerena je u etil acetatnom ekstraktu, dok je najveća količina flavonoida izmerena u metanolnom ekstraktu. Antioksidativna aktivnost je u opsegu od 874,56 do 672,33 µg/ml. Najvišu antioksidativnu aktivnost ispoljava etil acetatni ekstrakt, za koji je utvrđena i najveća količina ukupnih fenolnih jedinjenja

Efekat formi i koncentracija azota na rastenje i sadržaj pigmenata Ocimum basilicum L. u kulturi in vitro

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of nitrogen on the growth and concentration of photosynthetic pigments of Ocimum basilicum L. cultured in vitro. Six media were used for research, which differed in form and concentration of nitrogen. According to the obtained results, a significant effect on the roots and shoots length, as well as the concentration of chlorophyll and carotenoids had a nitrate form of nitrogen in contrast to the combination of nitric and ammonium forms. Based on obtained results, it is recommended cultivation basil plants inmedia withpotassium nitrate.Cilj istraživanja obuhvata utvrđivanje uticaja azota na rast i koncentraciju fotosintetičkih pigmenata bosiljaka (Ocimum basilicum L.) proizvedenog u kulturi in vitro. Za istraživanjeje upotrebljenošesthranljivih podloga, koje su se razlikovale po formi i koncentraciji azota. Prema dobijenim rezultatima, značajniji efekat na rast i koncentraciju hlorofila i karotenoida imala je nitratna forma azota u odnosu na kombinaciju nitratne i amonijačne forme. Utvrđeno je da je u procesu gajenja bosiljka kalijum-nitrat pogodan za oplemenjavanje zemljišta

Meaningful life is possible with locked - In syndrome the personal account of a survivor

Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is a rare condition characterised by quadriplegia and anarthria and is usually caused by a bilateral ventral ischemic pontine lesion. Patients are normally fully conscious, but their only mode of communication is with vertical eye movements and/or blinking. Although the mortality rate is high, it has been shown that patients can survive for a significant period of time. Once an LIS patient becomes medically stable, given appropriate medical care, his or her life expectancy may be several decades. LIS patients may suffer appreciably if they are treated by hospital staff as nonresponsive. Medical professionals and lay people often assume that the quality of life of an LIS patient is so poor that it is not worth living. However, the reported overall quality of life of LIS patients is not significantly different from that of healthy subjects. In this case report, we describe a 60-year-old retired man living in a locked-in state due to a brainstem infarct. His personal account vividly reveals his inner thoughts, a great deal of suffering, and his ability to cope with his condition throughout seven years of illness. LIS patients' early referral to specialist rehabilitation services and strong social support from family greatly improves LIS patients'their quality of life. Even limited physical recovery can improve quality of life and enable LIS patients to become active members of society and return to living with family

Normotensive rats with PCOS exhibit the hypertensive pattern: focus on oxidative stress

Numerous evidence implies complex interrelations between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hypertension (HT) in reproductive-age women. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential strain differences in ovarian morphology, hemodynamic, and biochemical characteristics in an androgen-induced PCOS rat model. A total of 24 rats of 3 weeks old (12 Wistar Kyoto - WK and 12 spontaneously hypertensive rats - SHR) were divided into four groups: WK, WK PCOS, SHR, and SHR PCOS. PCOS was induced by daily s.c. injections of testosterone enanthate (1 mg/100 g body weight) administered for 5 weeks. PCOS induction led to estrus cyclicity cessation, cystic ovarian appearance, and sex hormones disturbances in both strains. The morphometric parameters in ovaries were altered in a manner of PCOS-related changes in both strains (higher number in preantral, atretic, and cystic follicles). Ultrasonographically, a significant decrease in ovarian volume (OV) was registered in PCOS groups but also in SHR compared to WK rats. All blood pressure parameters were higher in SHR compared to WK. PCOS modeling increased systolic, mean arterial, and pulse pressure in WK strain, while in SHR, only mean arterial and pulse pressure were higher. Alterations in oxidative stress parameters could provide a molecular basis for PCOS-related changes: in PCOS groups, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and superoxide anion radical levels were higher in both strains, while superoxide dismutase and glutathione were significantly lowered

Effects of Combined Allogenic Adipose Stem Cells and Hyperbaric Oxygenation Treatment on Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis in Knee Joint Induced by Monoiodoacetate

The beneficial effects of HBO in inflammatory processes make it an attractive type of treatment for chronic arthritis. In addition, the effects of combination therapy based on adipose stem cells and HBO on OA progression have not been fully investigated. The current study explored the efficacy of intra-articular injection of allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) combined with hyperbaric oxygenation treatment (HBO) in a rat osteoarthritis (OA) model. The rat OA model was induced by intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate (MIA) and 7 days after application of MIA rats were divided into five groups: healthy control (CTRL), osteoarthritis (OA), ADMSCs (ADS), the HBO+ADS21day and HBO+ADS28day groups. A single dose of 1 × 106 allogeneic ADMSCs suspended in sterile saline was injected into the knee joint alone or in combination with HBO treatment. Rats were sacrificed at 3 or 4 weeks after MIA injection. Treatment outcomes were evaluated by radiographic, morphological and histological analysis and by specific staining of articular cartilage. We also measured the level of inflammatory and pro/antioxidative markers. We confirmed that combined treatment of ADMSCs and HBO significantly improved the regeneration of cartilage in the knee joint. Rtg score of knee joint damage was significantly decreased in the HBO+ADS21day and HBO+ADS28day groups compared to the OA. However, the positive effect in the HBO+ADS28day group was greater than the HBO+ADS21day group. The articular cartilage was relatively normal in the HBO+ADS28day group, but moderate degeneration was observed in the HBO+ADS21day compared to the OA group. These findings are in line with the histopathological results. A significantly lower level of O2−. was observed in the HBO+ADS28day group but a higher NO level compared to the HBO+ADS21day group. Moreover, in the HBO+ADS28day group significantly higher concentrations of IL-10 were observed but there was no significant difference in proinflammatory cytokine in serum samples. These results indicate that a single intra-articular injection of allogeneic ADMSCs combined with HBO efficiently attenuated OA progression after 28 days with greater therapeutic effect compared to alone ADMSCs or after 3 weeks of combined treatment. Combined treatment might be an effective treatment for OA in humans

Dynamic and Assembly Characteristics of Deep-Cavity Basket Acting as a Host for Inclusion Complexation of Mitoxantrone in Biotic and Abiotic Systems

We describe the preparation, dynamic, assembly characteristics of vase-shaped basket 13− along with its ability to form an inclusion complex with anticancer drug mitoxantrone in abiotic and biotic systems. This novel cavitand has a deep nonpolar pocket consisting of three naphthalimide sides fused to a bicyclic platform at the bottom while carrying polar glycines at the top. The results of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), 1H NMR Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST), Calorimetry, Hybrid Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics (REMD), and Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED) measurements are in line with 1 forming dimer [12]6−, to be in equilibrium with monomers 1(R)3− (relaxed) and 1(S)3− (squeezed). Through simultaneous line-shape analysis of 1H NMR data, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters characterizing these equilibria were quantified. Basket 1(R)3− includes anticancer drug mitoxantrone (MTO2+) in its pocket to give stable binary complex [MTO⊂1]− (Kd=2.1 μM) that can be precipitated in vitro with UV light or pH as stimuli. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that the basket is nontoxic, while at a higher proportion with respect to MTO it reduced its cytotoxicity in vitro. With well-characterized internal dynamics and dimerization, the ability to include mitoxantrone, and biocompatibility, the stage is set to develop sequestering agents from deep-cavity baskets