Uticaj različitih vrsta hrane na parametre oksidativnog stresa i masnokiselinski profil fosfolipida jetre pacova

The composition of fatty acids especially phospholipids (PL) as the main constituents of cell membranes depends on many factors. Recently, there has been an increased interest in novel dietary antioxidants, including omega-3 fatty acids and bioactive proteins present in milk. There is limited data regarding the effects of fatty acid composition of different types of diets on tissue phospholipids fatty acid profile. The aim of this doctoral dissertation was to examine the effects of different types of diets (standard diet, fish based and milk based diets) on plasma biochemical parameters, FA profiles of liver phospholipids, and parameters of oxidative stress in liver, of four months old Wistar rats, during four-weeks. Within this study, fatty acid profile was compared in diets of different composition, as well as in liver phospholipids of animals after treatment. The aim was to detect individual fatty acids mostly contributed to the difference in composition of liver phospholipids, and to explore the association of tissue response with gender. The results of this dissertation have shown that both, milk- and fish-based diet, changed the composition and ratio of rat liver phospholipids FA, in gender-specific manner. Although, applied diets changed the ratio of total saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), but the effects were sex specific. Milk-based diet lowered the amount of SFA and elevated the ratio of MUFA in males, and PUFA, in females comparing to standard diet. The same diet decreased n-3, increased n-6 and n-6/n-3 ratio in males comparing to the other type of diets. On the other hand, in females, fish-based diet increased n-3, decreased n-6 and n-6/n-3 ratio comparing to standard and milk-based diet. However, the ratio of individual FA in liver PL was also dietary-influenced, but with gender specific manner. While in females fish-based diet decreased AA (arachidonic acid) increased level of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the same diet elevated only DHA levels in males...Sastav masnih kiselina lipida, posebno fosfolipida (PL) glavnih konstituenata ćelijskih membrana zavisi od brojnih faktora. U poslednje vreme povećano je interesovanje za istraživanja novih antioksidanasa u ishrani, uključujući omega-3 masne kiseline i bioaktivne proteine prisutne u mleku. Uticaj različitih vrsta hrane, odnosno njihovog masnokiselinskog sastava na profil masnih kiselina fosfolipida tkiva nije dovoljno ispitivan. Stoga, cilj ove doktorske disertacije je bio ispitivanje efekta unosa tri različite vrste hrane (standardne hrane, hrane obogaćene ribljim brašnom i hrane obogaćene mlekom u prahu) na biohemijske parametre u krvi, masnokiselinske profile fosfolipida jetre i na parametre oksidativnog stresa u jetri pacova Wistar soja, starosne dobi četiri meseca u trajanju od četiri nedelje. U okviru ove studije, poređen je manokiselinski profil u hranama različitog sastava, a takođe i u fosfolipidima jetri životinja nakon tretmana. Preciznije, cilj je bio izdvajanje pojedinačnih masnih kiselina, koje su najviše doprinele razlici u sastavu fosfolipida jetre, kao i ispitivanje polno specifičnog odgovora tkiva na primenjene vrste hrane. Rezultati ove disertacije su pokazali da hrana obogaćena ribljim brašnom i hrana obogaćena mlekom u prahu menja sastav masnih kiselina fosfolipida i njihov odnos u jetri pacova, na polno specifičan način. Primenjene hrane su promenile odnos ukupnih zasićenih (SFA), mononezasićenih (MUFA) i polinezasićenih masnih kiselina (PUFA), ali su efekti polno specifični. Hrana obogaćena mlekom u prahu je smanjila sadržaj SFA i povećala udeo MUFA kod mužjaka, i PUFA kod ženki, u odnosu na standardnu hranu. Ista vrsta hrane je smanjila procenat ukupnih n-3, povećala procenat ukupnih n-6 i odnos n-6/n-3 kod mužjaka u odnosu na druge vrste hrana. S druge strane, kod ženki, hrana obogaćena ribljim brašnom povećala je procenat ukupnih n-3, smanjila procenat ukupnih n-6 i odnos n-6/n-3 u poređenju sa standardnom hranom i hranom obogaćenom mlekom u prahu. Hrana je na polno specifičan način uticala i na odnos pojedinačnih masnih kiselina u PL jetre..

Analiza faktora koji utiču na racionalno propisivanje lekova kod pacijenata sa bubrežnom insuficijencijom

Introduction. Prescribing may be inappropriate if the potential benefits outweigh risks, when there are more appropriate alternatives for prescribed drugs or when potentially useful drug was omitted. PIP in elderly is quite widespread, but it is preventable, given that valid explicit criteria for determining improper prescribing of drugs are used in practice, such as Beers, STOPP and START criteria. Purpose. The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of PIP on the sample of elderly patients with different degrees of kidney failure and to explore factors that influence rational prescribing of drugs. We used Beers, STOPP and START criteria to identify potentially inadequately prescribed drugs. Methods. The research was performed at the Department of Nephrology, Clinical Center Niš. The data were collected from medical files and patient surveys. The study included a total of 218 patients aged 65 years and over, of which 83 patients (38.1%) were undergoing chronic hemodialysis treatment due to the end stage kidney failure (the first group), while the other 135 patients (61.9% ), with varying degrees of renal insufficiency, was examined in the daily hospital of the Clinic for Nephrology (the second group). Results. The number of patients with potentially inadequately prescribed medication, or medications, did not differ significantly between patients with CKF treated with hemodialysis and those examined in the daily hospital. The main predictors of PIP in our patients were a greater number of co-morbidity and polypharmacy. The patients living in the urban places, the patients with lower levels of education, as well as the patients who did not read the drug instructions, had significantly greater number of PIP’s. Conclusion. Оur study showed that potentially inappropriate prescribing of drugs was frequent phenomenon in both hemodialysis patients and those without renal replacement therapy, present in about a third of patients from both groups. Determining factors that may be associated with the PIP can be of great help in clinical practice in the complex decision-making process

Fatty Acid Composition and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Plasma after Fish Oil Supplementation in Aging

Fish oil affects oxidative stress parameters and changes in phospholipids fatty acids profiles in plasma, erythrocytes and tissues. We examined the effects of fish oil supplementation in young and old male Wistar rats (3 and 22 months old) on plasma phospholipids fatty acids profiles and blood oxidative stress parameters. Twenty young and twenty aged Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (ten animals each): two control groups and two supplemented groups treated for 6 weeks with fish oil capsules containing 45 mg eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and 30 mg docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Fish oil supplementation changed the percentage of long chain fatty acids (FAs): the elevated percentage of eicosatrienoic acid (ETA, 20:3), eicosapentanoic (EPA, 20:5), docosapentanoic acid (DPA, 22:5), n-3 fatty acids and decreased arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4). However, there were no age-related changes in total SH groups, the percentages of palmitic (16:0), palmitoleic (16:1), oleic (18:1 (n-9)) and linoleic acid (18:2) in plasma phospholipids and MUFA and they were neither reversed nor prevented by fish oil supplementation. Results showed that fish oil supplementation increased SOD and CAT activities in erythrocytes, and PON activity in the blood plasma of both young and aged rats. Furthermore, fish oil supplementation decreased lipid peroxidation (MDA) and nitrite levels in both young and aged rats implying better antioxidant protection and a lower level of oxidative pressure after fish oil supplementation. Our results suggest that fish oil supplementation is beneficial regarding better antioxidant protection in both young and aged rats, while applied treatment differs in plasma phospholipids FAs composition

Efekti hrane obogaćene ribljim brašnom i mlekom u prahu na antioksidativne enzime i lipidnu peroksidaciju u jetri ženki pacova Wistar soja - pilot studija

Background/Aim. Recently, there has been an increased interest in novel dietary antioxidants, including omega-3 fatty acids and bioactive proteins present in milk. The aim of this study was to examine potential antioxidant effects of four-weeks long fish-based and milk-based diets in female Wistar rats. Methods. Four-months old rats were divided into three groups receiving either: control diet, diet enriched with fish meal, or diet enriched with milk. The activities of antioxidant enzymes: glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined in liver homogenates obtained at the end of the treatment period. Results. Statistically significant higher activities of GPx (3.52 ± 0.73 U/mg) and CAT (147.25 ± 15.93 U/mg) were detected in rats fed with fishbased meal in comparison with both the control (GPx: 1.93 ± 0.11 U/mg; CAT: 99.37 ± 10.03 U/mg) and the group fed with milk-based diet (GPx: 1.72 ± 0.52 U/mg; CAT: 104.18 ± 37.49 U/mg). Despite somewhat lower concentration of TBARS in the milk-treated group (0.88 ± 0.23 nmoL/mg), no significant differences were detected in comparison with other groups (the control group: 1.00 ± 0.08 nmoL/mg; the fish-based diet group: 1.13 ± 0.15 nmoL/mg). Conclusion. Diet enriched with fish could improve one's oxidative status by enhancing activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver tissue. On the contrary, we failed to obtain results suggesting that milk could serve as a source of dietary antioxidants.Uvod/Cilj. U poslednje vreme povećano je interesovanje za istraživanja novih antioksidanasa u ishrani, uključujući omega-3 masne kiseline i bioaktivne proteine prisutne u mleku. Cilj ove studije bio je ispitivanje potencijalnih antioksidativnih efekata hrane obogaćene ribljim brašnom i hrane obogaćene mlekom u prahu kod ženki Wistar pacova, u trajanju od četiri nedelje. Metode. Pacovi, starosti četiri meseca, podeljeni su u tri grupe koje su bile hranjene standardnom hranom (kontrolna grupa), hranom obogaćenom ribljim brašnom i hranom obogaćenom mlekom u prahu. U homogenatima jetre, posle četiri nedelje, određene su aktivnosti antioksidativnih enzima: glutation peroksidaze (GPx), superoksid dismutaze (SOD) i katalaze (CAT), kao i koncentracija reaktivnih supstanci tiobarbiturne kiseline (TBARS). Rezultati. Statistički značajno veće aktivnosti GPx (3,52 ± 0,73 U/mg) i CAT (147,25 ± 15,93 U/mg) nađene su kod pacova koji su dobijali hranu obogaćenu ribljim brašnom u odnosu na kontrolu (GPx: 1,93 ± 0,11 U/mg; CAT: 99,37 ± 10,03 U/mg) i grupu koja je hranjena hranom obogaćenom mlekom u prahu (GPx: 1,72 ± 0,52 U/mg; CAT: 104,18 ± 37,49 U/mg). Uprkos nešto nižoj koncentraciji TBARS u grupi koja je primala hranu obogaćenu mlekom u prahu (0,88 ± 0,23 nmoL/mg), nisu utvrđene statistički značajne razlike u poređenju sa drugim grupama (kontrola: 1,00 ± 0,08 nmoL/mg; grupa na ishrani obogaćenoj ribljim brašnom: 1,13 ± 0,15 nmoL/mg). Zaključak. Ishrana bogata ribom mogla bi delovati povoljno na oksidativni status preko poboljšanja aktivnosti antioksidativnih enzima jetre. Sa druge strane, rezultati ne pokazuju da bi mleko moglo biti dobar izvor dijetarnih antioksidanasa

The Effect of Walnut Consumption on n-3 Fatty Acid Profile of Healthy People Living in a Non-Mediterranean West Balkan Country, a Small Scale Randomized Study

People living in non-Mediterranean West Balkan countries have diets with a low n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. Walnuts, a traditional Serbian food, could be an excellent source of n-3 PUFA. The first sub-study evaluated the fatty acid and mineral content of Serbian walnuts, demonstrating that walnuts had the high content of linolenic acid (C18:3, n-3 ALA). The second sub-study assessed the consumption of walnuts (Juglans regia L.) and total n-3-fatty acid intake in apparently healthy Serbian residents, using 24-h dietary recalls (n = 352). An inadequate intake of n-3 fatty acids and a low consumption of walnuts was seen. Additionally, we evaluated the fatty acid profile of healthy Serbian adults (n = 110) and finally, via a randomized intervention 4-weeks study, we assessed the effects of walnut consumption on n-3 fatty acid profile of participants (n = 18). The plasma content of n-3 PUFA was low and the n-6/n-3 ratio was high in our study participants. The n-3 plasma fatty acid profile was improved after 4 weeks of walnut consumption, meaning that ALA, eicosapentaenoic acid, and total n-3 were significantly increased. The results of our study pointed out the potential health benefits of walnuts consumption on amelioration of the n-3 fatty acid profile that should be taken into account in preventive management programs. The higher conversion of ALA to EPA ( gt 10%) in examined study participants, suggests the importance of a moderate walnut consumption

Walnut Consumption Induces Tissue-Specific Omega-6/Omega-3 Decrease in High-Fructose-Fed Wistar Rats

Increased dietary, blood, and tissue n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratios are associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Due to Westernized dietary patterns, the increasing n-6/n-3 ratio is of growing concern worldwide, and dietary strategies aimed at its lowering are of public health importance. Walnuts are rich in dietary fats, and their consumption promotes cardiometabolic health. This study aimed to examine the effect of 6-week walnut consumption on tissue-specific n-6/n-3 ratio and fatty acid metabolic conversion in fructose-fed rats with a cluster of metabolic disorders. Male Wistar rats were fed a standard diet with or without 10% fructose in drinking water for 9 weeks. Diets of half of the animals were then supplemented with walnuts (2.4 g/day) for 6 weeks, upon which fatty acid profiles were determined in plasma, liver, adipose tissue, and kidney total lipids. Results showed that walnuts induced significant decreases in the n-6/n-3 content of total lipid pool in plasma and examined tissues, irrespective of metabolic burden. Walnut intervention decreased plasma and liver palmitoleic/palmitic, arachidonic/linoleic, and docosahexaenoic/alpha-linolenic acid ratios. It also modulated individual fatty acid levels by reducing arachidonic and palmitic acid and increasing alpha-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosapentaenoic acid in plasma and most tissues. Our study demonstrated that 6-week consumption of walnuts favorably modulated n-6/n-3 plasma and tissue ratio in male Wistar rats regardless of high-fructose feeding, underscoring the promising potential of walnuts in both prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome

Applying advanced data analytics and machine learning to enhance the safety control of dams

The protection of critical engineering infrastructures is vital to today’s so- ciety, not only to ensure the maintenance of their services (e.g., water supply, energy production, transport), but also to avoid large-scale disasters. Therefore, technical and financial efforts are being continuously made to improve the safety control of large civil engineering structures like dams, bridges and nuclear facilities. This con- trol is based on the measurement of physical quantities that characterize the struc- tural behavior, such as displacements, strains and stresses. The analysis of monitor- ing data and its evaluation against physical and mathematical models is the strongest tool to assess the safety of the structural behavior. Commonly, dam specialists use multiple linear regression models to analyze the dam response, which is a well- known approach among dam engineers since the 1950s decade. Nowadays, the data acquisition paradigm is changing from a manual process, where measurements were taken with low frequency (e.g., on a weekly basis), to a fully automated process that allows much higher frequencies. This new paradigm escalates the potential of data analytics on top of monitoring data, but, on the other hand, increases data quality issues related to anomalies in the acquisition process. This chapter presents the full data lifecycle in the safety control of large-scale civil engineering infrastructures (focused on dams), from the data acquisition process, data processing and storage, data quality and outlier detection, and data analysis. A strong focus is made on the use of machine learning techniques for data analysis, where the common multiple linear regression analysis is compared with deep learning strategies, namely recur- rent neural networks. Demonstration scenarios are presented based on data obtained from monitoring systems of concrete dams under operation in Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Liver phospholipids fatty acids composition in response to different types of diets in rats of both sexes

Background: Dietary intake influence changes in fatty acids (FA) profiles in liver which plays a central role in fatty acid metabolism, triacylglycerol synthesis and energy homeostasis. We investigated the effects of 4-weeks treatment with milk-and fish-based diet, on plasma biochemical parameters and FA composition of liver phospholipids (PL) in rats of both sexes. Methods: Adult, 4 months old, Wistar rats of both sexes, were fed with different types of diets: standard, milk-based and fish-based, during 4 weeks. Analytical characterization of different foods was done. Biochemical parameters in plasma were determined. Fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas-chromatography. Statistical significance of FA levels was tested with two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the sex of animals and treatment (type of diet) as factors on logarithmic or trigonometric transformed data. Results: Our results showed that both, milk-and fish-based diet, changed the composition and ratio of rat liver phospholipids FA, in gender-specific manner. Initially present sex differences appear to be dietary modulated. Although, applied diets changed the ratio of total saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and effects were gender specific. Milk-based diet lowered SFA and elevated MUFA in males and increased PUFA in females vs. standard diet. The same diet decreased n-3, increased n-6 and n-6/n-3 ratio in males. Fish-based diet increased n-3, decreased n-6 and n-6/n-3 ratio vs. standard and milk-based diet in females. However, the ratio of individual FA in liver PL was also dietary-influenced, but with gender specific manner. While in females fish-based diet decreased AA (arachidonic acid) increased level of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the same diet elevated only DHA levels in males. Conclusion: Gender related variations in FA composition of rat liver PL were observed, and results have shown that those initial differences could be significantly modulated by the type of diet. Furthermore, the modulatory effects of milk-and fish-based diets on liver phospholipids FA profiles appeared to be sex-specific

14 Examples of How LLMs Can Transform Materials Science and Chemistry: A Reflection on a Large Language Model Hackathon

Chemistry and materials science are complex. Recently, there have been great successes in addressing this complexity using data-driven or computational techniques. Yet, the necessity of input structured in very specific forms and the fact that there is an ever-growing number of tools creates usability and accessibility challenges. Coupled with the reality that much data in these disciplines is unstructured, the effectiveness of these tools is limited. Motivated by recent works that indicated that large language models (LLMs) might help address some of these issues, we organized a hackathon event on the applications of LLMs in chemistry, materials science, and beyond. This article chronicles the projects built as part of this hackathon. Participants employed LLMs for various applications, including predicting properties of molecules and materials, designing novel interfaces for tools, extracting knowledge from unstructured data, and developing new educational applications. The diverse topics and the fact that working prototypes could be generated in less than two days highlight that LLMs will profoundly impact the future of our fields. The rich collection of ideas and projects also indicates that the applications of LLMs are not limited to materials science and chemistry but offer potential benefits to a wide range of scientific disciplines