Molecular hydrogen modulates brain glutamate/ GABA-glutamine cycle in overweight humans

Introduction: We evaluated whether 12-week intake of molecular hydrogen (H2 ) in 5 overweight adults (3 women; age: 50.2 ±11.9 years, body mass index: 29.4 ±2.1 kg/m2 ) affects brain levels of the glutamate-glutamine-GABA cycle, critical amino acid neurotransmitters in the mechanism of neuronal activation during appetite regulation. Methods: A 1.5-T single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to assess the tissue concentrations of relevant metabolites. Results: The mean glutamate and glutamate-plus-glutamine levels at the posterior cingulate gyrus decreased significantly during the study; this was accompanied by a significant drop in GABA levels at left prefrontal white matter, and glutathione levels at anterior cingulate gyrus. No changes in the brain metabolites were found in the comparable group of overweight individuals (n = 4, 2 women; age: 41.0 ±13.9, BMI 26.8 ±1.3 kg/m2 ) followed-up in the past without this treatment. Conclusions: We showed a possible hydrogen-driven upregulation of neurotransmitters involved in appetite stimulation leading to hunger suppression and weight loss. Further studies analyzing appetite-controlling metabolic pathways affected by H2 would require monitoring of additional biomarkers of satiation and satiety during different feeding regimens.publishedVersio

Creatine consumption and liver disease manifestations in individuals aged 12 years and over

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Ekonomski aspekti primene mašina i oruđa za uređenje zemljišta po površini i dubini

Problems that occur when processing the soil with heavy mechanical type of composition can not be solved without changing the existing cultivation system. Soils with heavy mechanical type of composition demand a cultivation system that ensures preservation of natural potential and fertility resources. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this research is to examine the economic consequences of applying new types of machines and tools for the arrangement of soil’s surface and depth, then to detect the most important factors influencing this and finally to contribute successfully to the formulation of the answers on questions is their use profitable and under what conditions. The results of this study suggest that is possible to expect the positive effects of applying new technologies and new machines and tools for the arrangement of soil’s surface and depth.Problemi koji se javljaju pri obradi zemljišta sa teškim mehaničkim sastavom ne mogu se rešiti bez promene postojeće tehnologije obrade zemljišta. To podrazumeva primenu novih tehnologija obrade i novih mašina i oruđa, koji treba da obezbede optimalnu potrošnju pogonske energije, rada i ostalih resursa, a da se pri tome obezbedi maksimalno iskorišćavanje prirodnog potencijala plodnosti zemljišta i rodnosti biljaka. Zbog toga sve više raste značaj istraživanja problema vezanih za ovu oblast, pri čemu se nikako ne sme zapostaviti ekonomski aspekt. Imajući to u vidu cilj ovog rada je da se sa ekonomskog aspekta sagledaju efekti i posledice primene novih tehnologija i novih mašina i oruđa za uređenje zemljišta po površini i dubini kao i da se utvrde najvažniji faktori od kojih zavisi isplativost njihove primene uz nastojanje da se na taj način doprinese što uspešnijem formulisanju odgovora na pitanje da li je i pod kojim uslovima njihova primena opravdana. Na osnovu dosadašnjih rezultata istraživanja moguće je očekivati pozitivne efekte primene analiziranih mašina i oruđa što je od presudne važnosti prilikom donošenja odluke o opravdanosti njihovog uvođenja

Uticaj promene cene goriva na optimizaciju ukupnih troškova upotrebe poljoprivredne mehanizacije za obradu zemljišta

Serbian agricultural producers are facing currently with a large number of challenges that significantly influence their business activities. One of them is for sure a high fuel price. The recent fuel price increase has caused a lot of concern among agricultural producers regarding its impact on operating costs and farm profitability. However, those higher costs will probably reflect themselves onto direct reduction in profit in the short run because the producers' possibilities are limited as to the changes they can economically make. While no one knows with certainty what will happen in the future, the current developments on the world market as well as the analysts’ estimates indicate that we are likely to see continued high diesel fuel prices. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this research is to emphasize an importance of the fuel price change for optimization of total operating costs of the tillage agricultural machinery, then to detect the most important factors influencing this change and finally to contribute successfully to the formulation of the answers on mentioned questions. The results of this study suggest that for an increase of the agricultural machinery utilization efficiency as well as for minimization of their operating costs, it is necessary to start making more adequate management decisions. This is certainly one of the safe ways for alleviation of the consequences caused by the high fuel price mostly influenced by the world fuel market trends.Poljoprivredni proizvođači u Srbiji suočavaju se sa velikim brojem izazova koji značajno utiču na njihovo poslovanje. Jedan od njih je svakako visoka cena goriva. Skorašnje povećanje cene goriva nateralo je mnoge od njih da se zapitaju kakav će to uticaj imati na troškove proizvodnje tj. kako će se odraziti na profitabilnost poslovanja gazdinstva. Ono što je izvesno je da će u kratkom roku, ovako visoka cena dovesti do smanjenja profita, zato što su mogućnosti vlasnika da u kratkom roku učine ekonomska prilagođavanja prilično limitirane. I dok niko sa sigurnošću ne može da pretpostavi šta će se dešavati u budućnosti, trenutna kretanja na svetskom tržištu i procene analitičara govore da i dalje treba očekivati održavanje cene na visokom nivou. Imajući to u vidu, cilj ovog istraživanja je da se ukaže na značaj promene cene goriva za optimizaciju ukupnih troškova upotrebe poljoprivredne mehanizacije za obradu zemljišta, da se otkriju najvažniji faktori koji na to utiču i da se sagleda njihov uticaj, uz nastojanje da se na taj način doprinese uspešnijem formulisanju odgovora na napred postavljena pitanja. Na osnovu dosadašnjih rezultata istraživanja može se konstatovati da je za povećanje efikasnosti korišćenja poljoprivredne mehanizacije i minimiziranje troškova njihove upotrebe, od presudnog značaja celishodno i blagovremeno sprovođenje adekvatnih mera iz oblasti menadžmenta. To je svakako jedan od sigurnih načina za ublažavanje posledica izazvanih visokom cenom goriva na čije formiranje prevashodni uticaj imaju kretanja na svetskom tržištu derivata

Ekonomski efekti primene mašina i oruđa za uređenje zemljišta po površini i dubini u proizvodnji pšenice

In In market conditions of business operations the main criterion of successful agricultural production is achieved economic results. However, the question of preservation and rational use of natural resources, especially soil, is increasingly raised. The need of preservation and rational use of natural resources, such as soil, requires the elimination of the usual practice of production and application of new technologies as well as new types of machines and tools. Nonetheless, new cultivation technologies and new machines and tools will be widely adopted and successfully applied in practice if the necessary verification of positive technical, technological and economic effects obtained through appropriate scientific researches is provided. Bearing this in mind, the aim of this paper is to examine the economic effects of prolonged effect of new technology and new types of machines and tools for the arrangement of soil’s surface and depth in wheat production. In this sense, it is determined that a change in cultivation technology and application of new machines and tools in the first year of conducting the experiment has a positive prolonged effect in the second year of conducting the experiment as well, which is reflected in a reduction of variable costs per kilogram of produced wheat by 23.57%. The conducted research and results obtained in this analysis represent a continuation of research of economic effects of the application of new machines and tools for the arrangement of soil’s surface and depth in individual crop production (a previous study included corn and sunflower). The obtained results indicate the need to expand research to other important crops.U tržišnim uslovima poslovanja osnovno merilo uspešnosti poljoprivredne proizvodnje su ostvareni ekonomski rezultati. Međutim, sve glasnije se postavlja pitanje očuvanja i racionalnog korišćenja prirodnih resursa, posebno zemljišta. Potreba očuvanja i racionalnog korišćenja neobnovljivih prirodnih resursa, kao što je zemljište, zahteva eliminisanje uobičajene prakse proizvodnje i primenu novih tehnologija obrade i novih mašina i oruđa. Ipak, da bi nove tehnologije obrade i nove mašine i oruđa bili masovno prihvaćeni i uspešno primenjeni u praksi, potrebna je potvrda ispoljavanja pozitivnih tehničko-tehnoloških i ekonomskih efekata dobijena kroz odgovarajuća naučna istraživanja. Imajući to u vidu, cilj ovog rada je da se sagledaju ekonomski efekti produženog dejstva primene nove tehnologije obrade i novih mašina i oruđa za uređenje zemljišta po površini i dubini u proizvodnji pšenice. U tom smislu utvrđeno je da promena tehnologije obrade i primena novih mašina i oruđa u prvoj godini izvođenja ogleda ima pozitivno produženo dejstvo u drugoj godini izvođenja ogleda, koje se ogleda u smanjenju varijabilnih troškova po kg proizvedene pšenice za 23,57%. Obavljeno istraživanje i rezultati dobijeni u ovoj analizi predstavljaju nastavak istraživanja ekonomskih efekata primene mašina i oruđa za uređenje zemljišta po površini i dubini u proizvodnji pojedinih kultura kojima su do sada obuhvaćeni kukuruz i suncokret. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na potrebu proširenja istraživanja i na druge značajne poljoprivredne kulture

Effects of six-month creatine supplementation on patient- and clinician-reported outcomes, and tissue creatine levels in patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome

Dietary creatine has been recently put forward as a possible intervention strategy to reduce post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome yet no clinical study so far evaluated its efficacy and safety for this perplexing condition. In this parallel-group, randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial, we analyzed the effects of 6-month creatine supplementation (4 g of creatine monohydrate per day) on various patient- and clinician-reported outcomes, and tissue creatine levels in 12 patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome. Creatine intake induced a significant increase in tissue creatine levels in vastus medialis muscle and right parietal white matter compared to the baseline values at both 3-month and 6-month follow-ups (p < .05). Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed a significant difference (treatment vs. time interaction) between interventions in tissue creatine levels (p < .05), with the creatine group was superior to placebo to augment creatine levels at vastus medialis muscle, left frontal white matter, and right parietal white matter. Creatine supplementation induced a significant reduction in general fatigue after 3 months of intake compared to baseline values (p = .04), and significantly improved scores for several post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome-related symptoms (e.g., ageusia, breathing difficulties, body aches, headache, and difficulties concentrating) at 6-month follow-up (p < .05). Taking creatine for 6 months appears to improve tissue bioenergetics and attenuate clinical features of post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome; additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings in various post-COVID-19 cohorts.publishedVersio

Effects of acute b-alanine supplemetation on countermovement jump performance after a 4x400 m fatigue protocol: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

This study aimed to examine the effect of acute beta-alanine (β-alanine) supplementation on jump performance after a strenuous fatigue protocol. Twelve healthy young men (age 21.4±0.5 years, body height 180.2±5.8 cm, body mass 76.6±9.2 kg) volunteered to participate in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The experimental group ingested 3.2 g of β-alanine (separated into two 1.6 g dosages) mixed with 23 g of glucose, whereas the placebo group ingested two dosages containing 23 g of glucose. Following the supplementation intake, participants completed a jump protocol involving countermovement jump (CMJ) and four consecutive countermovement jumps (CMJ-4). Subsequently, a 4x400 m running fatigue protocol was carried out to produce fatigue. After the fatigue protocol, the same jumping tests were repeated, CMJ and CMJ-4, to evaluate the loss in jump height. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze differences between the groups, whereas Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to analyze differences within the groups with statistical significance set at p<.05. After β-alanine supplementation, no significant decrease in jump height was found in the experimental group in none of the tests after the fatigue protocol. Conversely, a significant decrease was noticed in the placebo group in CMJ but not in the CMJ-4 test. In conclusion, an acute β-alanine supplementation could attenuate jump height loss after the fatigue protocol. Therefore, athletes and coaches should consider acute β-alanine supplementation to attenuate sports performance decrease after high-intensity exercises in which muscle acidosis is highly increased

The Effects of Hydrogen-Rich Water on Blood Lipid Profiles in Clinical Populations : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Over the last two decades, a plethora of disease models and human studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of molecular hydrogen (H2), a simple biotherapeutic gas. Recent small-scale studies evaluating the effects of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on various metabolic conditions pointed to advantageous effects of HRW in regulating blood lipid profiles. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no systematic review and/or meta-analysis (SRMA) were published considering HRW consumption and lipid/lipoprotein status. Therefore, the aim of this SRMA was to assess the effects of HRW consumption on blood lipid panel in clinical populations. The search strategy was designed using PRISMA guidelines, and the databases PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus were explored from inception until 4 October 2022. A total of seven studies satisfied all the eligibility criteria and were included in SRMA. The results for the pooled meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides after HRW intake (p = 0.01), with small to moderate effects (pooled SMD = −0.23 (from −0.40 to 0.05); pooled SMD = −0.22 (from −0.39 to 0.04); pooled SMD = −0.38 (from −0.59 to 0.18), respectively). Our findings indicate that drinking HRW can significantly improve lipid status in the clinical populations. Additional studies are warranted to further validate this connection.publishedVersio

Effects of probiotics on strength and power performance in a trained population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The main purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of probiotics intake on strength and power performance in a trained population. This study was designed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines. The review was registered in PROSPERO with the following registration number: CRD42021248173. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched from their inception to the 18th March 2022 to find original research studies evaluating the effects of probiotic supplementation on strength and power performance tests in a trained population. The following inclusion criteria were applied to select studies: probiotics supplementation; trained population; strength and power performance measurements; human experimental trial; controlled with a placebo group; peer-reviewed and original articles written in English language. Random effects model and standardized mean differences (SMD) were used following Hedges’ G for the meta-analysis. Seven studies were finally included after the inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied (n=142 participants). Results of the meta-analysis identified a significant benefit of probiotics compared to placebo treatments (p=.04), with a small pooled effect size (SMD=0.36 [0.02-0.70]; I2=43%), and no funnel plot asymmetry was present. In summary, this systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that probiotic supplementation could effectively enhance strength and power performance in a trained population