Učinak hranidbe različitim količinama proteina na biokemijske i proizvodne pokazatelje nojeva (Struthio camelus).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary protein levels on the biochemical and production parameters of ostriches. Eighteen adult, eight-year-old ostriches (Struthio camelus) (six male and twelve female) were studied. For the experiment the ostriches were randomly divided into two groups of 3 breeding pairs each (one male and two female) to be fed with 20% and 23% crude protein, respectively. The 20% crude protein group was fed layer feed (20% crude protein, 2900 kcal/kg ME) and alfalfa (ad libitum) and the 23% crude protein group with layer feed (23% crude protein, 2900 kcal/kg ME) and alfalfa (ad libitum) between May and September. It was determined that biochemical parameters of ostriches which were fed with diets that included 20% and 23% crude protein levels did not differ significantly, but a significant difference (P<0.01) was found in egg fertility ratio and hatchability of eggs between dietary protein levels. It was concluded that a high crude protein level in breeding ostriches had a negative effect on the number of eggs and hatchability of total eggs, and the results of the present study showed that the crude protein ratio was not required to exceed 20%.Istražen je učinak hranidbe temeljene na različitoj količini proteina na biokemijske i proizvodne pokazatelje nojeva. Istraživanje je provedeno na 18 odraslih nojeva (Struthio camelus) u dobi od osam godina i to šest mužjaka i 12 ženki. Životinje su bile podijeljene u dvije skupine s po tri uzgojna para (jedan mužjak i dvije ženke). Prva skupina je dobivala 20% sirovog proteina, 2900 kcal/kg ME i lucerku (ad libitum), a druga 23% sirovog proteina, 2900 kcal/kg ME i lucerku (ad libitum) u razdoblju od svibnja do rujna. Ustanovljeno je da se biokemijski pokazatelji nojeva obje skupine nisu značajno razlikovali. Značajne razlike (P< 0,01) bile su utvrđene u oplođenosti i leživosti jaja u odnosu na sadržaj proteina. Zaključeno je da davanje velikih količina sirovog proteina rasplodnim nojevima negativno utječe na ukupan broj i leživost jaja te da količina sirovog proteina ne bi smjela biti veća od 20%

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of alginate and alginatechitosan beads containing metformin hydrochloride

Purpose: To prepare metformin HCl-loaded alginate (AL) and alginate-chitosan (AL-CS) beads for oral application and to evaluate their in vitro characteristics and in vivo activities.Methods: AL and AL-CS beads were prepared using ionotropic gelation. The beads were evaluated for particle size, surface morphology, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) and in vitro drug release. The antidiabetic effects of the beads were evaluated in diabetic Sprague Dawley rats.Results: The mean particle sizes of AL and AL-CS beads in wet state ranged from 1714 ± 140 to 1850 ± 103 μm. The EE % of AL and AL-CS beads were 33.58 ± 1.56 and 24.11 ± 1.72, respectively, with sustained in vitro drug release of about 93 to 96 % within 8 days in phosphate buffer (PB). Optimized metformin HCl-loaded AL and AL-CS beads showed significant hypoglycaemic effects in diabetic rats over a prolonged period (about 12 h) after oral administration compared to the pure drug (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Metformin HCl-loaded AL and AL-CS beads for oral application may be useful in prolonging the hypoglycaemic effect of metformin. This is capable of increasing patients’ compliance to the medication.Keywords: Alginate, Beads, Chitosan, Metformin, Diabetes, In vivo stud

The comparison of high and standard definition computed tomography techniques regarding coronary artery imaging

Objective: The aim was to compare coronary high-definition CT (HDCT) with standard-definition CT (SDCT) angiography as to radiation dose, image quality and accuracy. Material and Methods: 28 patients with history of coronary artery disease scanned by HDCT (Discovery CT750 HD) and SDCT (Somatom Definition AS). The scan modes were both axial prospective ECG-triggered. The vessel diameters and vessel attenuation values of totally 280 measurements from 140 coronary arteries were analyzed by two experienced radiologists. All data was analyzed by intraclass correlation test. Image quality graded by motion and stair step artifacts (grade 1, poor, to grade 4, excellent), accuracy of vessel inner and outer diameters were compared between the two CT units using the independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of measured vessel attenuation values in SDCT between the two radiologists was exceedingly good. The ICC was higher in HDCT. The radiation dose of HDCT was higher than that of SDCT. The mean tube current was 180 (mA) in HDCT and 147(mA) in SDCT with the same tube voltage (kVp). There was no significant difference between image quality. Conclusion: HDCT has a higher radiation dose but has much more atenuation and the spatial resolution which improve measurement accuracy for imaging coronary arteries

Comparison of Lipid and Lipoprotein Values of Wrestlers and Soccer Players

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the lipid and lipoprotein values of wrestlers and soccer players. Materials and Methods: A total of 35 subjects, 17 male wrestlers who are sporting for 11.5 years and 18 male soccer player students who are sporting for 11.9 years, participated in this study. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were determined by Hitachi 717 autoanalyzer. To determine the differences between the wrestlers and the soccer players the independent t-test was performed. Results: There was a significant difference in body weight and body mass index between the wrestlers and the soccer players (p<0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences in plasma TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C values between the wrestlers and soccer players (all, p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in plasma TG values between the wrestlers and the soccer players (p>0.05). On the other hand, TC and LDL-C values of the wrestlers were significantly higher than soccer players (p<0.05). The HDL-C values of the soccer players were significantly higher the wrestlers (p<0.05). The ratio TC/HDL-C of the wrestlers was markedly higher than soccer players (p<0.05). Conclusion: TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C values of the soccer players were in better ranges than wrestlers. This situation can be caused by the effect of different sports branches as well as the training differences. The lipid and lipoprotein values of the wrestlers and soccer players showed that they do not carry a risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, it can be recommended that wrestlers should do jogging or aerobic training in their daily regular training

Učinak hranidbe različitim količinama proteina na biokemijske i proizvodne pokazatelje nojeva (Struthio camelus).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary protein levels on the biochemical and production parameters of ostriches. Eighteen adult, eight-year-old ostriches (Struthio camelus) (six male and twelve female) were studied. For the experiment the ostriches were randomly divided into two groups of 3 breeding pairs each (one male and two female) to be fed with 20% and 23% crude protein, respectively. The 20% crude protein group was fed layer feed (20% crude protein, 2900 kcal/kg ME) and alfalfa (ad libitum) and the 23% crude protein group with layer feed (23% crude protein, 2900 kcal/kg ME) and alfalfa (ad libitum) between May and September. It was determined that biochemical parameters of ostriches which were fed with diets that included 20% and 23% crude protein levels did not differ significantly, but a significant difference (P<0.01) was found in egg fertility ratio and hatchability of eggs between dietary protein levels. It was concluded that a high crude protein level in breeding ostriches had a negative effect on the number of eggs and hatchability of total eggs, and the results of the present study showed that the crude protein ratio was not required to exceed 20%.Istražen je učinak hranidbe temeljene na različitoj količini proteina na biokemijske i proizvodne pokazatelje nojeva. Istraživanje je provedeno na 18 odraslih nojeva (Struthio camelus) u dobi od osam godina i to šest mužjaka i 12 ženki. Životinje su bile podijeljene u dvije skupine s po tri uzgojna para (jedan mužjak i dvije ženke). Prva skupina je dobivala 20% sirovog proteina, 2900 kcal/kg ME i lucerku (ad libitum), a druga 23% sirovog proteina, 2900 kcal/kg ME i lucerku (ad libitum) u razdoblju od svibnja do rujna. Ustanovljeno je da se biokemijski pokazatelji nojeva obje skupine nisu značajno razlikovali. Značajne razlike (P< 0,01) bile su utvrđene u oplođenosti i leživosti jaja u odnosu na sadržaj proteina. Zaključeno je da davanje velikih količina sirovog proteina rasplodnim nojevima negativno utječe na ukupan broj i leživost jaja te da količina sirovog proteina ne bi smjela biti veća od 20%

A comparative study on EpCAM antibody immobilization on gold surfaces and microfluidic channels for the detection of circulating tumor cells

Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the bloodstream holds great importance to diagnose cancer at early stages. However, CTCs being extremely rare in blood makes them difficult to reach. In this paper, we introduced different surface modification techniques for the enrichment and detection of MCF-7 in microfluidic biosensor applications using gold surface and EpCAM antibody. Mainly, two different mechanisms were employed to immobilize the antibodies; covalent bonding and bioaffinity interaction. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed on the gold surfaces were treated further for the immobilization of the antibody. The bioaffinity-based studies were performed with streptavidin and biotinylated EpCAM over the SAM coated surfaces. The cell attachment events were monitored using fluorescent microscope. Comparisons were made considering the length and functional end of alkanethiols and the positioning of the antibody. Then, these methods were integrated into a microfluidic channel system. Surface characterizations were performed with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and contact angle measurements. The selectivity studies were carried out with EpCAM negative K562 leukaemia cell lines and the experiments were repeated for different types of surfaces, such as glass and polymer. Studies showed that long (n > 10) and aromatic ring containing alkanethiols lead to better cell capture events compared to shorter ones. Results obtained from the comparisons are of importance for the gold surface-based microfluidic biosensor designs aimed for CTC detection

Improved targeting for photodynamic therapy via a biotin-phthalocyanine conjugate: synthesis, photophysical and photochemical measurements, and in vitro cytotoxicity assay

In this study, the peripherally biotin-substituted zinc(ii) phthalocyanine (Pc2) was synthesized as a photosensitizer for the treatment of cancer by photodynamic therapy. The photophysico-chemical properties of the zinc(ii) phthalocyanine-bearing mono-biotin and three branched polyoxyethylene groups were studied in DMSO. The photodynamic activities of this compound were tested on HeLa cervical carcinoma cells and HuH-7 human liver carcinoma cells. The dark toxicity and photosensitizing effect of the conjugate were compared to those of amino-functionalized zinc(ii) phthalocyanine (Pc1) to determine the effect of the biotin group on the photodynamic activity. According to the results, Pc1 showed good photodynamic activity reaction against HeLa and HuH-7 cancer cells. Although the results of the photochemical and photophysical data of Pc1 and Pc2 were close, the in vitro studies of these compounds (1 and 2) have shown that the biotin-substituted conjugate (Pc2) more effectively decreased cell survival than the non-biotin-bearing derivative (Pc1) due to the targeting effect of the biotin. Furthermore, the apoptosis ratio of 2 by the HeLa and HuH-7 cells was detected by flow cytometry via Annexin V/PI double-staining assay. The percentages of the late apoptotic cells were 3.5% and 0.4% in the control groups of HuH-7 and HeLa cells, respectively. The late apoptotic cells increased under light conditions in both HeLa (63.9%) and HuH-7 (83.6%) cells compared to dark conditions (HuH-7, 1% and HeLa, 0.4%). The cellular uptake of Pc2 was relatively high (34.5-fold in HuH-7 and 459 fold in HeLa cells) and localized in the cytoplasm in different cancer model cells. Moreover, the Pc2 treatment and illumination strictly reduced the cell colony forming capacity. The photodynamic activity of the biotin conjugate can be related to the high cellular uptake and/or singlet oxygen generation yield of this photosensitizer

Non-functional requirements to architectural concerns: MML and NLP at crossroads

There has been no commonsense on how to identify problem domain concerns in architectural modeling of software systems. Even, there is no commonly accepted method for modeling the non-functional requirements (NFRs) effectively associated with the architectural aspects in the solution domain. This paper introduces the use of a Machine Learning (ML) method based on Support Vector Machines to relate NFRs to classified "architectural concerns" in an automated way. This method uses Natural Language Processing techniques to fragment the plain NFR texts under the supervision of domain experts. The contribution of this approach lies in continuously applying ML techniques against previously discovered "NFR - architectural concerns " associations to improve the intelligence of repositories for requirements engineering. The paper illustrates a charted roadmap and demonstrates the automated requirements engineering toolset for this roadmap. It also validates the approach and effectiveness of the toolset on the snapshot of a real-life project. © 2008 IEEE