Lex talionie in the context of rabbinic literature and episode 5:39 from the Gospel of Matthew

Artykuł analizuje prawo odwetu w kontekście rabinicznej literatury oraz wersu 5,39 z Ewangelii wg Mateusza. W pracy wybrany fragment Ewangelii jest zestawiony z innymi interpretacjami toraicznej zasady talionu, które zostały zawarte w: Talmudzie, Midraszach Iszmaela i Symeona ben Jochaja, papirusach z Qumran, apokryfach oraz Dziejach Izraela Jozefa Flawiusza. Dodatkowo w artykule został przywołany żydowski zwyczaj polegający na policzkowaniu prawej strony twarzy. Na podstawie tych źródeł autorka przedstawia relację tradycji chrześcijańskiej i żydowskiej, które zaistniały przy interpretowaniu zasady talionu.The article is an interpretation of lex talionie in the context of rabbinic literature and episode 5:39 from the Gospel of Matthew. The verse from the Gospel is juxtaposed with the interpretation of torraic lex talionie contained in Tanakh, Talmud, midrashes, Qumran scrolls, apocryphas and Jewish Antiquities by Josephus Flavius. Futhermore, the article describes the meaning of slapping the right cheek as a Jewish custom. In the end, there is a description of relations between both traditions (Christian and Jewish) in interpreting of lex talionie

Anti-Hypochlorite and Catalytic Activity of Commercially Available Moringa oleifera Diet Supplement

Aiming at the assessment of the pro-health, and especially anti-hypochlorite properties of Moringa oleifera species a representative, commercially available Moringaoleifera dietary supplement was used as a substrate for the preparation of aqueous Moringa extract. The anti-hypochlorite activity of the extract was assessed using the hypochlorite-specific coumarin-based fluorescence turn-off sensor, namely 7-diethylamino-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (7-DCCA). This compound was synthesized via the Knoevenagel condensation of 4-diethylamino-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with Meldrum’sacidandtheMoringaextractwasemployedasamediumandcatalyst. Moreover,thetotal phenoliccontent(TPC)aswellasthereactiveoxygenspecies(ROS)–scavengingabilityoftheaqueous Moringa extract were determined. The results obtained demonstrated the applicability of Moringa extract as an anti-hypochlorite agent. Additionally, the satisfactory yield of the 7-DCCA obtained suggests the usefulness of the extract as a catalyst and the reaction medium. The antioxidative potentialoftheextractwasnotablylowerthanthatofthestandard(TROLOX).DeterminationofTPC in 100 g of the dry weight (DW) of studied material revealed a high number of polyphones present

Non-nutritional “paramedical” usage of human milk — knowledge and opinion of breastfeeding mothers in Poland

Objectives: The objective of this study is to understand knowledge, attitudes and practices of non-nutritional breast milkuse among lactating women in respect of skin diseases and other frequent ailments.Material and methods: The study, in the form of a questionnaire, spread on social media, was targeted at breastfeedingwomen. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the knowledge of non-nutritional usage of human milk, its usein practice, subjective opinion on the observed results and inclination towards future use. Chi-square tests and c-Pearsoncoefficients were used for statistical calculations.Results: A total of 1187 responses were acted upon. In the study group, 879 women claimed to have knowledge ofnon-nutritional use of human milk in respect of skin and most common ailments, whilst 688 of them claimed to use at leastone usage. The most frequently, breast milk was used for: care of cracked nipples, care of healthy skin, treatment of diaperdermatitis and treatment of neonatal acne. A correlation between duration of breastfeeding (p < 0.05) and gestational age(p < 0.05) and practical use of non-nutritional human milk was found.Conclusions: The study showed a great enthusiasm of mothers in respect of using breast milk for non-nutritional purposes,including the treatment of skin diseases and other common ailments. However, given the scant studies determining possibleconcerns surrounding these methods, there is a requirement for parental education with emphasis on the need forprompt medical examination and pertinent treatment

Anti-Hypochlorite, Antioxidant, and Catalytic Activity of Three Polyphenol-Rich Super-Foods Investigated with the Use of Coumarin-Based Sensors

The anti-hypochlorite activity of açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), goji (Lycium barbarum L.) and schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) fruit extracts were assessed by determining the reactive chlorine species (RCS)-scavenging ability of these three “super-food” berries. In addition, the aqueous extracts obtained were employed as both the media and the catalyst in a green chemistry approach to the synthesis of a coumarin-based fluorescence turn-off sensor, which was then used for anti-hypochlorite activity testing. The aqueous extracts were also assessed for total phenolic content (TPC), using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and the antioxidant activity using the ABTS+• assay. Moreover, the main water-soluble polyphenolic constituents of the extracts were identified by the HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS technique. Among the extracts tested, açaí demonstrated the highest anti-hypochlorite and antioxidant activities, while the highest TPC value was found for the goji extract. All extracts demonstrated modest catalytic activity as Knoevenagel condensation catalysts

Fluorescence Quenching-Based Mechanism for Determination of Hypochlorite by Coumarin-Derived Sensors

A fluorescence quenching-based mechanism for the determination of hypochlorite was proposed based on spectroscopic and chromatographic studies on the hypochlorite-sensing potency of three structurally similar and highly fluorescent coumarins. The mode of action was found to rely upon a chlorination of the coumarin-based probes resulting from their reaction with sodium hypochlorite. Importantly, the formation of chlorinated derivatives was accompanied by a linear decrease in the fluorescence intensities of the probes tested. The results obtained suggest the applicability of a coumarin-dependent hypochlorite recognition mechanism for the detection of, as well as for quantitative determination of, hypochlorite species in vitro

Impact of gestational diabetes and other maternal factors on neonatal body composition in the first week of life: a case-control study

Objectives: Newborns of diabetic mothers are at increased risk of abnormal nutritional status at birth, thus developing metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthropometric measurements and body composition of newborns born to mothers with gestational diabetes in comparison to newborns born to mothers with normal glucose tolerance in pregnancy, in the first week of their life. Maternal factors affecting the gestational period were also evaluated. Material and methods: The study included 70 participants: neonates born to mothers with gestational diabetes (GDM) and neonates born to healthy mothers (non-GDM). A set of statistical methods (e.g., ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, Chi-square test, regression, cluster analysis) was used to compare data between the study groups and to find their association with maternal factors. Results: Our approach resulted in statistically significant classification (p < 0.05) by maternal history of hypothyroidism, weight gain during pregnancy and diagnosis of GDM. Newborns of mothers diagnosed with both GDM and hypothyroidism had lower birth weight and fat mass than newborns of mothers without GDM nor hypothyroidism (p < 0.05), however this finding might be associated with high incidence of excessive gestational weight gain among healthy mothers. No differences in body composition were found between the study groups on account of maternal GDM only (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Thus, well-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus as an individual factor does not significantly affect neonatal anthropometric measurements and body composition

Umbilical cord blood NGAL concentration as an early marker of perinatal asphyxia in neonates

Introduction: Recent reports have revealed increased concentration of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in cardiovascular diseases and after episodes of hypoxia. We hypothesized that elevated plasma NGAL levels could be a result of vascular endothelial injury due to perinatal asphyxia. Materials and methods: Ninety-three newborns with a gestational age ≥37 weeks, of which 32 newborns were asphyxiated (study group), and 61 were healthy children (control group), were enrolled in the study. Serum NGAL, lactate and creatinine concentrations, acid-base balance, neutrophil and white blood cell count were measured in the umbilical cord blood. Results: Asphyxiated newborns had a significantly lower pH value (7.0 vs. 7.3;

Structural Features of 1,3,4-Thiadiazole-Derived Ligands and Their Zn(II) and Cu(II) Complexes Which Demonstrate Synergistic Antibacterial Effects with Kanamycin

Classical synthetic protocols were applied for the isolation of three novel 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives which were then complexed with the biologically important Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions. All free ligands and their corresponding complexes were characterized using a number of spectroscopic techniques including Ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis), Fluorescence, Infrared (FT-IR), tandem liquid chromatography-mass (LC-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (1H, 13C, HSQC, HMBC). The results obtained are consistent with the formation of dihydrate complexes, in which the chelation of the metal ion occurs via one of the thiadiazole nitrogen atoms and the deprotonated hydroxyl group of the neighboring resorcynyl moiety. The Zn(II) complexes utilize a 1:1 ligand–metal ratio, while in the Cu(II) complexes the ligand–metal ratio is 2:1. Although the antibacterial testing identified moderate activity of the compounds against the tested bacterial strains and additionally modest antioxidant activity, a strong synergistic antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, using concomitant treatment of thiadiazole derivatives with the commercial antibiotic kanamycin, was observed. The most active thiadiazole derivative demonstrated a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 500 μg/mL while it was 125 μg/mL in the presence of kanamycin. Moreover, in the presence of few thiadiazole derivatives the MIC value of kanamycin decreased from 0.39 μg/mL to 0.5 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity (IC50) of the most active thiadiazole derivative was determined as 0.13 mM which was nearly three-fold lower compared to that of TROLOX (0.5 mM)

Non-typical fluorescence effects and biological activity in selected 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives : spectroscopic and theoretical studies on substituent, molecular aggregation, and pH effects

The below article presents the results of spectroscopic research, theoretical (time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT)), microbiological, and antioxidative calculations for three compounds from the group of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles: 2-amino-5-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole (TB), 2-amino-5-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (TS), 2-amino-5-(2-hydroxy-5-sulfobenzoyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (TSF). In the fluorescence emission spectra (TS) of solutions with varying concentrations of hydrogen ions, a particularly interesting effect of dual fluorescence was observed. The aforementioned effect was observed even more clearly in the environment of butan-1-ol, relative to the compound’s concentration. Depending on the modification of the resorcylic substituent (TS and TSF), we observed the emergence of two separate, partially overlapping, fluorescence emission spectra or a single emission spectrum. Interpretation of the obtained spectra using stationary and time-resolved spectroscopy allowed the correlation of the effect’s emergence with the phenomenon of molecular aggregation (of a particular type) as well as, above all, the structure of the substituent system. The overlap of said effects most likely induces the processes related to the phenomenon of charge transfer (in TS) and is responsible for the observed fluorescence effects. Also, the position of the –OH group (in the resorcylic ring) is significant and can facilitate the charge transfer (CT). The determinations of the changes in the dipole moment and TD-DFT calculations further corroborate the above assumption. The following paper presents the analysis (the first for this particular group of analogues) of the fluorescence effects relative to the changes in the structure of the resorcylic group combined with pH effects. The results of biological studies also indicate the highest pharmacological potential of the analogue in the case where the effects of dual fluorescence emission are observed, which predisposes this particular group of fluorophores as effective fluorescence probes or potential pharmaceuticals with antimycotic properties

Novel Coumarin-Thiadiazole Hybrids and Their Cu(II) and Zn(II) Complexes as Potential Antimicrobial Agents and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

A series of coumarin-thiadiazole hybrids and their corresponding Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized with the use of spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained indicate that all the coumarin-thiadiazole hybrids act as bidentate chelators of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions. The complexes isolated differ in their ligand:metal ratio depending on the central metal. In most cases, the Zn(II) complexes are characteristic of a 1:1 ligand:metal ratio, while in the Cu(II) complexes the ligand:metal ratio is 2:1. All compounds were tested as potential antibacterial agents against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial strains demonstrating activities notably lower than commercially available antibiotics. The more promising results were obtained from the assessment of antineurodegenerative potency as all compounds showed moderate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity