Determination of Phytoestrogen Composition in Soybean Cultivars in Serbia

The growing clinical interest and use of soybean-based food products and extracts to increase dietary phytoestrogen intake have led to medical interest in the precise determination of the phytoestrogen composition of soybean products. We have analyzed the composition of these compounds in 20 domestic and introduced varieties of genetically non-modified soybean genotypes grown under the same agroecological conditions. The isoflavone content of soybeans cultivated in this region of Serbia has not been previously reported. The assays were performed, after extraction with methanol-water (8:2, v/v), by C-18 reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection. The total phytoestrogen concentration was found to be between 2.24 and 3.79 mg g(-1) dry bean weight. The total concentration of daidzein and its derivatives ranged from 0.96 to 1.82 mg g(-1), total glyciteines from 0.34-0.53 mg g(-1), and all genistein derivatives from 0.86-1.67 mg g(-1) dry bean weight. Given the high biological potency of phytoestrogens and their metabolic conversion products, our data suggest that phytoestrogen content screening could be a useful tool in the selection of soybean genotypes with improved health promoting characteristics

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the disease specific questionnaire oqlq in Serbian patients with malocclusions

Introduction. Dentofacial disorders may potentially significantly affect the quality of life. Objectives of this study were to validate translated and culturally adapted Orthognatic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ) on a cohort of Serbian patients with malocclusions. Methods. The questionnaire was validated in 111 consecutive patients with malocclusions, seen between December 2014 and February 2015 at the Clinic of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade. Clinical validity was assessed comparing the mean scores for the four subscales of the OQLQ and mean PAR pre-treatment score. In order to assess whether the allocation of items in the subscales corresponds to their distribution in the original questionnaire, an exploratory factor analysis (principal component analysis with varimax rotation) was conducted. Results. The results of the internal consistency analysis demonstrated good relationships between the items; Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the four subscales were highly significant (p lt 0.001) (0.88-0.91). All items were significantly correlated between baseline and the retest (6 weeks after). The correlations between the PAR and all four domains of the OQLQ were all significant (p lt 0.01). The loading weights obtained in the exploratory factor analysis showed that this model revealed four factors with eigenvalue greater than 1, explaining the 64.0% of the cumulative variance. The majority of the items (86.4%) in the Serbian version of the OQLQ presented the highest loading weight in the subscales assigned by the OQLQ developer. Conclusions. The psychometric properties of the OQLQ (Serbian version) have exceptional internal consistency and reproducibility as an instrument for evaluation of dental malocclusions. Additionally, this questionnaire may be useful as a supplementary outcome measure in persons with malocclusions

Marked epithelial to mesenchymal transition in surgical margins of oral cancer-an in vitro study

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a feature of several types of human cancer, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study, tumor and margin cell cultures obtained from patients with OSCC were used to determine the expression patterns of certain EMT-associated markers, including vimentin, alpha -smooth muscle actin, SLUG and SNAIL. In addition, other EMT-associated features, including clonal, proliferative and migratory potential were compared between the two cell types. Cell cultures were generated from tumor and margin tissue samples from 6 patients and cultured up to the fifth passage. EMT marker expression was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell proliferation, colony formation and scratch wound healing assays were conducted to characterize the two cell types in terms of proliferation rates, clonality and motility. All of the studied markers were expressed in tumor and margin cells. Although no significant differences were noted with regard to the aforementioned markers, their expression tended to be higher in margin cultures than in tumor cultures. The expressions of the EMT markers were also higher in the fifth passage compared with those noted at the first with a few exceptions. The rates of proliferation and cell migration were decreased during passages, while the number of colonies was increased in both types of cell culture. Tumor and margin cells indicated certain similarities with regard to EMT transition characteristics

Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the COMPASS-31 in Croatian and Serbian patients with multiple sclerosis

Aim To validate and cross-culturally adapt Croatian and Serbian versions of composite autonomic symptom score- 31 (COMPASS-31) for the detection of dysautonomia in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods A total of 179 patients, 67 with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and 112 with MS, completed the COMPASS- 31 at two MS centers in Zagreb and Belgrade between April 1 and October 31, 2016. Demographic and clinical data including age, gender, MS phenotypes, and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score were collected. Results The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of COMPASS-31 total score was 0.844 for the Croatian MS sample and 0.779 for the Serbian MS sample. A joint analysis yielded Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.394 to 0.796, with values in four domains higher than 0.700. In Croatian and Serbian samples and the total study sample, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of COMPASS-31 was 0.785. Reproducibility measured by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was acceptable (ICC = 0.795). With regard to the clinical validity, significant correlation was found between EDSS and the COMPASS-31 total score (P < 0.001). Furthermore, significant differences between MS phenotypes were detected for bladder and gastrointestinal domains and for the COMPASS-31 total score (P < 0.001, P = 0.005, and P = 0.027, respectively). Finally, significant differences between MS phenotypes in patients with score >0, which implies the existence of at least one of the symptoms investigated in each domain, were detected for secretomotor and bladder domains (P = 0.015 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion COMPASS-31 represents a valid and acceptable self-assessment instrument for the detection of dysautonomia in MS patient

Effects of ghrelin on protein expression of antioxidative enzymes and iNOS in the rat liver

Introduction: We investigated the effects of ghrelin on protein expression of the liver antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutases (SODs), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR), nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Furthermore, we aimed to investigate whether extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) and protein kinase B (Akt) are involved in ghrelin-regulated liver antioxidant enzymes and iNOS protein expression. Material and methods: Male Wistar rats were treated with ghrelin (0.3 nmol/5 mu l) injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle every 24 h for 5 days, and 2 h after the last treatment the animals were sacrificed and the liver excised. The Western blot method was used to determine expression of antioxidant enzymes, iNOS, phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B) subunits 50 and 65. Results: There was significantly higher protein expression of CuZnSOD (p LT 0.001), MnSOD (p LT 0.001), CAT (p LT 0.001), GPx, (p LT 0.001), and GR (p LT 0.01) in the liver isolated from ghrelin-treated animals compared with control animals. In contrast, ghrelin significantly (p LT 0.01) reduced protein expression of iNOS. In addition, phosphorylation of NF kappa B subunits p65 and p50 was significantly (p LT 0.001 for p65; p LT 0.05 for p50) reduced by ghrelin when compared with controls. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and of Akt was significantly higher in ghrelin-treated than in control animals (p LT 0.05 for ERK1/2; p LT 0.01 for Akt). Conclusions: The results show that activation of Akt and ERK1/2 is involved in ghrelin-mediated regulation of protein expression of antioxidant enzymes and iNOS in the rat liver

Improvement of lipid metabolism regulation by low-intensity exercise in fructose-fed rats

Excessive dietary fructose consumption in parallel with limited physical activity contributes to the global increase in prevalence of metabolic disorders. Metabolic syndrome represents a collection of cardiometabolic risk factors that includes obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, and it is undoubtedly linked to increased risk for two global maladies, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Fructose-rich diet is accompanied by the development of insulin resistance in the heart, and it could change the use of cardiac energy substrates towards increased fatty acid (FA) uptake, and catabolism. Exercise may be beneficial in prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of low-intensity exercise on protein expression of nuclear transcription factors involved in regulating FA β- oxidation in a heart of fructose fed rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into control group, and two groups that received 10% fructose for 9 weeks, one which was sedentary and one which was additionally exposed to low intensity exercise. The protein expression of important transcriptional regulators of fatty acid β-oxidation PPARα, and FOXO1, and coregulators Lipin1, PGC-1, and SIRT1 are analyzed in cardiac lysate and/or nuclear fraction by Western blot. Gene expression of ACADL, the enzyme that catalyzes the initial step of mitochondrial β-oxidation, was quantified by real-time PCR. Fructose-rich diet decreased nuclear PPARα compared to control. Exercise increased nuclear PPARα, nuclear FOXO1, lysate PGC1, and nuclear Lipin1 in fructose-fed rats compared to sedentary fructose-fed rats. Exercise increased lysate PPARα, lysate and nuclear FOXO1, lysate PGC1, lysate and nuclear SIRT1, and nuclear Lipin1 in fructose-fed rats compared to control. In conclusion, running at low intensity is accompanied by increased expression of key regulators of fatty acid oxidation. The results indicate that exercise achieves its effect by increasing the nuclear content of PPARα, Lipin1, and FOXO1

Risky Travel? Subjective vs. Objective Perceived Risks in Travel Behaviour—Influence of Hydro-Meteorological Hazards in South-Eastern Europe on Serbian Tourists

In terms of climate related security risks, the region of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) can be identified as one of the world’s hot spots. As weather-related hazards continue to increase in num-bers and spatial distribution, risk perception in the tourism industry becomes even more important. Additionally, people’s perception of natural hazards is one of the key elements in their decision-making process when choosing a travel destination. Although a vast number of studies have exam-ined aspects of risk perception, an integrated approach which considers both objective and subjec-tive factors related to the tourism industry and hydro-meteorological hazards remains relatively scarce. This pioneering study inspects the causality between objective perceived risks, as well as subjective risk factors. A methodological approach and the obtained results present a certain nov-elty since the previous conceptualized Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS) was applied for the first time in the tourism industry. The obtained results reveal the pres-ence of a statistically significant relationship between objective risks and certain subjective risk fac-tors (gender, age, education, prior experience, anticipation, and awareness). Therefore, this study may offer a conceptual platform for both theoretical and practical implications for enhanced ap-proaches oriented toward more qualitative risk management at a given travel destination, in regions prone to hydro-meteorological hazards

Does the acceptance of insects as food depend on sociodemographic characteristics: The case of Serbia

Animal-based food has historically been considered dietary staples because it offers many essential nutrients. Due to their high nutrient content, edible insects have the potential to partially replace animal-based food as healthy and sustainable alternatives. The aim of this research is to determine if sociodemographic characteristics of respondents play important role in acceptance or rejection of insects as food. The results showed that male respondents have favourable attitudes towards acceptance, motivation and general attitude compared to female respondents. In terms of age, it was determined that older people are more likely to accept insects. Results also showed that highly educated people express a higher level of acceptance of insects, while the effects of income level are not significant. As Serbia is not a country where insects have been traditionally consumed, it is not expected that consumption will become widespread in foreseeable future

Qualitative analysis of guest reviews of Italian restaurants on TripAdvisor

Developing measures for improving the quality of hospitality services is a basic precondition for successful business and positioning of restaurants on the market. The importance of measuring the satisfaction of quests is reflected in the objectivisation and quantification of subjective perceptions in order to improve the service quality. Sometimes a very important tool for obtaining feedback - quest books are replaced with social networks, forums and specialized sites, thus distributing information about the perception of service quality gets a new dimension. Thanks to the large number of online reviews available in electronic form, the sentiment analysis is increasingly prevalent in scientific and professional works which deals with the research of the quality of services in the restaurant industry. The aim of the paper is to research reviews of users (domestic and foreign guests) that visited Italian cuisine restaurants in Belgrade. Qualitative analysis of reviews was done, different readability indices were calculated, the feelings in the reviews were analysed, T-test according to gender was done, and the chi square test for variables subjectivity and irony were applied