The role of biochemical markers as early indicators of cardiac damage and prognostic parameters of perinatal asphyxia

Background/Aim. In recent years, the focus of interest of the scientific community is the application of heart markers as early indicators and prognostic parameters of perinatal asphyxia (PA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of clinical application of heart markers in term newborns with perinatal asphyxia. Methods. During a 3- year period we analyzed 91 full-term newborns (55 with and 36 without perinatal asphyxia). In all the subjects within the first 24-48 h after birth, we simultaneously determined serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide, MB fraction of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and Creactive protein. Results. In the group of full-term neonates with PA significantly higher levels of cardiac troponinI (p = 0.000), CK-MB fraction (p = 0.000), brain natriuretic peptide (p = 0.003) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.017) were found, compared to the group of healthy full-term newborns. In merged group (n = 91) cardiac troponin I level correlated with the fifth minute Apgar score (r = - 0.637, p = 0.000) and the serum lactate concentration in the first 12h after birth (r = 0.529, p = 0.000). Early increase in cardiac troponin I > 0.135 μg/L predicted the risk of death with the sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 85.9%, while the increase in CK-MB fraction, brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein did not have a predictive value with respect to a mortality outcome. Conclusion. Among the tested cardiac markers, cardiac troponin I is the most sensitive and the only reliable early predictor of mortality in fullterm neonates with perinatal asphyxia

Probing the stability of the food colourant R-phycoerythrin from dried Nori flakes

The high content of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and proteins makes red algae Porphyra sp. (Nori) superfood with exceptional health-promoting benefits. Its intense colour originates from R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), phycobiliprotein containing covalently attached tetrapyrrole chromophores: red phycoerythrobilin and orange phycourobilin. The present study aims to characterize the stability of R-PE, a natural colourant with a high potential for application in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. We purified R-PE from dried Nori flakes with a high purity ratio (A560 /A280 ≥5). Far-UV CD spectroscopic showed that α-helix is the dominant secondary structure (75%). The thermal unfolding of α-helix revealed two transitions (Tm1 and Tm2 at 56 and 72°C, respectively), ascribed to the different subunits of R-PE. Absorption measurements showed that high pressure (HP) induces dissociation of R-PE into subunits followed by subunit unfolding. Contrary to temperature, HP treatment showed a significant advantage under applied conditions: the protein unfolding is partly reversible, and the R-PE colour bleaching is minimized. Based on the fluorescence quenching approach, R-PE's binding affinities for Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions were 6.27x105 and 1.71x103 M-1, respectively. Absorption and near-UV/VIS CD spectroscopy suggested conformational changes in protein chromophores upon metal ions binding. Far-UV CD spectroscopy did not reveal that metal binding affects R-PE structure. The obtained results give new insights into the stability of R-PE with a good use-value in replacement of toxic synthetic dyes, preservation of R-PE red colour in fortified food and beverages by HP processing, and as a biosensor for Cu2+ in aquatic life systems. Acknowledgments: This study was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Contract number: 451-03-9/2021-14/200168 and the European Commission, under the Horizon2020, FoodEnTwin Project, GA No. 810752

Plan estratégico de recursos humanos para incentivar la eficiencia en una empresa generadora de energía

Sinersa es una empresa peruana dedicada a la operación y administración de centrales generadoras de electricidad y comercialización de energía. Actualmente, está enfocada en lograr una gestión más eficiente para asegurar los niveles de producción en los tiempos esperados y recuperarse de las pérdidas económicas sufridas a consecuencia del fenómeno de El Niño en el 2017. Para esto, necesita un área de recursos humanos consolidada como un socio estratégico que la acompañe en el alcance de sus objetivos

Orthodox Catechism Affects Gender Differences in Adolescents’ Needs for Affiliation and Achievement and Alters their Sense of Purpose in Life

Studije sprovedene među katolicima i protestantima su pokazali veći stepen religioznog iskustva kod žena u odnosu na muškarce, sugerišući da se ove razlike mogu odraziti i razlikama u psihološkim karakteristikama ličnosti i u njihovoj socijalizaciji i ponašanju. Međutim, uticaj pravoslavne religije na razvoj psiholoških i socijalnih karakteristika adolescenata je i dalje nepoznat

The role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in cancer: A comprehensive review

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway was first identified in the common fruit fly. It is a highly conserved evolutionary pathway of signal transmission from the cell membrane to the nucleus. The Hh signaling pathway plays an important role in the embryonic development. It exerts its biological effects through a signaling cascade that culminates in a change of balance between activator and repressor forms of glioma-associated oncogene (Gli) transcription factors. The components of the Hh signaling pathway involved in the signaling transfer to the Gli transcription factors include Hedgehog ligands (Sonic Hh [SHh], Indian Hh [IHh], and Desert Hh [DHh]), Patched receptor (Ptch1, Ptch2), Smoothened receptor (Smo), Suppressor of fused homolog (Sufu), kinesin protein Kif7, protein kinase A (PKA), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). The activator form of Gli travels to the nucleus and stimulates the transcription of the target genes by binding to their promoters. The main target genes of the Hh signaling pathway are PTCH1, PTCH2, and GLI1. Deregulation of the Hh signaling pathway is associated with developmental anomalies and cancer, including Gorlin syndrome, and sporadic cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma, medulloblastoma, pancreatic, breast, colon, ovarian, and small-cell lung carcinomas. The aberrant activation of the Hh signaling pathway is caused by mutations in the related genes (ligand-independent signaling) or by the excessive expression of the Hh signaling molecules (ligand-dependent signaling – autocrine or paracrine). Several Hh signaling pathway inhibitors, such as vismodegib and sonidegib, have been developed for cancer treatment. These drugs are regarded as promising cancer therapies, especially for patients with refractory/advanced cancers

The role of biochemical markers as early indicators of cardiac damage and prognostic parameters of perinatal asphyxia

Background/Aim. In recent years, the focus of interest of the scientific community is the application of heart markers as early indicators and prognostic parameters of perinatal asphyxia (PA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of clinical application of heart markers in term newborns with perinatal asphyxia. Methods. During a 3- year period we analyzed 91 full-term newborns (55 with and 36 without perinatal asphyxia). In all the subjects within the first 24-48 h after birth, we simultaneously determined serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide, MB fraction of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and Creactive protein. Results. In the group of full-term neonates with PA significantly higher levels of cardiac troponinI (p = 0.000), CK-MB fraction (p = 0.000), brain natriuretic peptide (p = 0.003) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.017) were found, compared to the group of healthy full-term newborns. In merged group (n = 91) cardiac troponin I level correlated with the fifth minute Apgar score (r = - 0.637, p = 0.000) and the serum lactate concentration in the first 12h after birth (r = 0.529, p = 0.000). Early increase in cardiac troponin I > 0.135 μg/L predicted the risk of death with the sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 85.9%, while the increase in CK-MB fraction, brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein did not have a predictive value with respect to a mortality outcome. Conclusion. Among the tested cardiac markers, cardiac troponin I is the most sensitive and the only reliable early predictor of mortality in fullterm neonates with perinatal asphyxia

Specific Polymorphism 4G/5G Gene for PAI-1 as a Possible Cause of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: A Case Report

Thrombosis of veins and venous sinus (CVT) is the rare cerebral vascular disorder which makes less than 1% of all strokes. Thrombosis of veins and venous sinuses is picturesquely called “мајоr neurological forger” since it is characterized by very varied clinical picture. Among the various causes of CVT, which can be of infective or non-infective nature, the congenital hyper coagulations especially stand out, diagnosis is based on highly sophisticated diagnostic tests

Femoral Artery Thrombosis in a Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Newborn

Tromboses are considered to be rare disorders in the pediatric population. However, they occur more frequently during the neonatal period. Potential risk factors for thrombosis onset include frequent use of peripheral, umbilical or central venous / arterial catheters, inflammation, disseminated intravascular coagulation, liver disorders, hypovolemia, asphyxia, congenital heart disease, polycythemia and dehydration

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Dependent Modulation of Liver Diseases.

Acute liver failure and cirrhosis display sequential and overlapping severe pathogenic processes that include inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis, and fibrosis, carrying a high mortality rate. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous subset of stromal stem cells with immunonodulatory characteristics. MSCs are considered to act through multiple mechanisms to coordinate a dynamic, integrated response to liver inflammation and fibrosis, which prevents the progressive distortion of hepatic architecture. Accordingly, MSCs as well as their products have been investigated as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of inflammatory and fibrotic liver diseases. In this review, we highlight the current findings on the MSC-based modulation of liver inflammation and fibrosis, and the possible use of MSCs in the therapy of immune-mediated liver pathology. We briefly describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in MSC-dependent modulation of cytokine production, phenotype and function of liver infiltrated inflammatory cells and compare effects of engrafted MSCs versus MSC-generated conditioned medium (MSC-CM) in the therapy of acute liver injury. In order to elucidate therapeutic potential of MSCs and their products in modulation of chronic liver inflammation and fibrosis, we present the current findings regarding pathogenic role of immune cells in liver fibrosis and describe mechanisms involved in MSC-dependent modulation of chronic liver inflammation with the brief overview of on-going and already published clinical trials that used MSCs for the treatment of immune mediated chronic liver diseases. The accumulating evidence shows that MSCs had a significant beneficial effect in the treatment of immune-mediated liver diseases

Updated distribution of the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) and its conservation issues in Serbia

Although the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) has been included in studies for several decades, the information about its distribution and the state of populations in Serbia is still incomplete. The data collected from the available literature sources, and those based on the authors' own field investigations, indicate that E. orbicularis occupies a large part of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, preferring aquatic biotopes at lower altitudes. We compiled a list of 287 localities where the presence of the pond turtle has been recorded. Of those, 14\% (40 localities) were known only from literature sources, localities added during our field investigations represent 82\% (235 sites), 4\% (12 localities) confirming literature data. We also gathered information on the main negative threats to the endurance of the pond turtle in Serbia. These are habitat pollution, degradation and destruction, and the spread of allochthonous invasive turtle species. Some protective and conservation measures are suggested in the conclusion.Ministry of Education, Sciences and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia {[}173043]; Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia {[}401-00-00243/2014-08]; Rufford Small Grants Foundation {[}12291-1