Bioactivity of essential oils from cultivated winter savory, sage and hyssop

Species of the Lamiaceae family have enjoyed a rich tradition of use for flavoring, food preservation, and medicinal purposes, due to their curative and preventive properties. Cultivated winter savory (Satureja montana L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) are produced for seed, herb, and essential oil. Dominant compounds in S. montana essential oil were carvacrol (43.2%) and thymol (28.4%), while cis-thujone (27.1%) and camphor (19.3%), followed by trans-thujone and 1,8-cineole were the major compounds in S. officinalis essential oil. As for H. officinalis essential oil, cis- and trans-pinocamphone (41.1% and 20.5%, respectively) were the most abundant compounds, followed by β-pinene. The highest antimicrobial properties, as well as antioxidant capacity, showed S. montana essential oil compared to other tested essential oils. Furthermore, H. officinalis essential oils showed higher antioxidant activity than that of S. officinalis. The aim of this investigation was to determine the composition and bioactivity of essential oils of mentioned varieties. Presented results show that S. montana essential oil could be proposed as a valuable source of natural preservatives

Association between a 15q25 gene variant, smoking quantity and tobacco-related cancers among 17 000 individuals

Methods We performed a detailed analysis of one 15q single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs16969968) with smoking behaviour and cancer risk in a total of 17 300 subjects from five LC studies and four upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer studies. Results Subjects with one minor allele smoked on average 0.3 cigarettes per day (CPD) more, whereas subjects with the homozygous minor AA genotype smoked on average 1.2 CPD more than subjects with a GG genotype (P < 0.001). The variant was associated with heavy smoking (> 20 CPD) [odds ratio (OR) = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-1.34, P = 0.13 for heterozygotes and 1.81, 95% CI 1.39-2.35 for homozygotes, P < 0.0001]. The strong association between the variant and LC risk (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.23-1.38, P = 1 x 10(-18)), was virtually unchanged after adjusting for this smoking association (smoking adjusted OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.19-1.35, P = 5 x 10(-13)). Furthermore, we found an association between the variant allele and an earlier age of LC onset (P = 0.02). The association was also noted in UADT cancers (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15, P = 0.02). Genome wide association (GWA) analysis of over 300 000 SNPs on 11 219 subjects did not identify any additional variants related to smoking behaviour. Conclusions This study confirms the strong association between 15q gene variants and LC and shows an independent association with smoking quantity, as well as an association with UADT cancers

{Search for direct production of GeV-scale resonances decaying to a pair of muons in proton-proton collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV}

A search for direct production of low-mass dimuon resonances is performed using = 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment during the 2017–2018 operation of the CERN LHC with an integrated luminosity of 96.6 fb−1. The search exploits a dedicated high-rate trigger stream that records events with two muons with transverse momenta as low as 3 GeV but does not include the full event information. The search is performed by looking for narrow peaks in the dimuon mass spectrum in the ranges of 1.1–2.6 GeV and 4.2–7.9 GeV. No significant excess of events above the expectation from the standard model background is observed. Model-independent limits on production rates of dimuon resonances within the experimental fiducial acceptance are set. Competitive or world’s best limits are set at 90% confidence level for a minimal dark photon model and for a scenario with two Higgs doublets and an extra complex scalar singlet (2HDM+S). Values of the squared kinetic mixing coefficient ε2 in the dark photon model above 10−6 are excluded over most of the mass range of the search. In the 2HDM+S, values of the mixing angle sin(θH) above 0.08 are excluded over most of the mass range of the search with a fixed ratio of the Higgs doublets vacuum expectation tan β = 0.5

A susceptibility locus for lung cancer maps to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes on 15q25

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide, with over one million cases annually(1). To identify genetic factors that modify disease risk, we conducted a genome- wide association study by analysing 317,139 single- nucleotide polymorphisms in 1,989 lung cancer cases and 2,625 controls from six central European countries. We identified a locus in chromosome region 15q25 that was strongly associated with lung cancer ( P= 9 x 10(-10)). This locus was replicated in five separate lung cancer studies comprising an additional 2,513 lung cancer cases and 4,752 controls ( P = 5 x 10(-20) overall), and it was found to account for 14%( attributable risk) of lung cancer cases. Statistically similar risks were observed irrespective of smoking status or propensity to smoke tobacco. The association region contains several genes, including three that encode nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits ( CHRNA5, CHRNA3 and CHRNB4). Such subunits are expressed in neurons and other tissues, in particular alveolar epithelial cells, pulmonary neuroendocrine cells and lung cancer cell lines(2,3), and they bind to N’- nitrosonornicotine and potential lung carcinogens(4). A non- synonymous variant of CHRNA5 that induces an amino acid substitution ( D398N) at a highly conserved site in the second intracellular loop of the protein is among the markers with the strongest disease associations. Our results provide compelling evidence of a locus at 15q25 predisposing to lung cancer, and reinforce interest in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors as potential disease candidates and chemopreventative targets(5)

AGRONOMIC, NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF QUINOA, A NEW ALTERNATIVE GRAIN

The experiments were carried with two introduced quinao cultivars, KVL 37 and KVL 52, during the years 2010, 2011. and 2012., established at the experimental field in Stara Pazova. Three-year average yield of the grains of quinoa cultivars was 1322 kg ha-1, and expressed per cultivar ha-1 it accounted 1297 kg for KVL 37 and 1347 kg ha-1 for KVL 52. Highest variability of the yields per cultivar was observed in the first experimental year; cultivar KVL 52 achieved a higher yield by about 20%. In the second year, a higher yield of 7% gave cultivar KVL 37, while in the third experimental year, cultivar KVL 52 was again yielding about 2% more in comparison to the other one. Significantly greater variations in grain yield values were observed when comparing the experimental years. The lowest yield on the whole was recorded in the year 2012 (906 kg ha-1), while for a 51% it was greater in the year 2010. The highest yield was obtained in the second year (1693 kg ha-1), the value being higher than the one obtained in the first year by 9% and in the third year by 87%. Such large and significant variations were attributed to the unfavorable weather conditions during the growing period of quinoa plants. Analysis of chemical composition of quinoa grains revealed the greatest variations in the content of the total proteins. In grain of cultivar KVL 52 and KVL 37, the total protein values were 17.43%, and 15.23%, respectively. In addition, the cultivar KVL 52 proved to be richer in mineral salts, while the cultivar KVL 37 was for 2% richer in dietary carbohydrates

ANALYSIS OF Ca, Mg, Fe, AND Zn CONTENTS IN ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS OF WILD NETTLE (URTICA DIOCA L.)

This work represents a research of Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn contents in fresh aboveground biomass of wild nettle. The samples of wild nettle were collected from different localities in South Banat during 2008. year. Investigations included three localities with different soil types: chernozem with signs of gley in loess (Starčevo), marsh dark soil (Ivanovo) and alluvium soil (Dubovac). Laboratory determinations of Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn were carried out by atomic absorption spectrophotometric (AAS) techniques. The contents of chemical elements were compared with recent investigations in order to confirme the importance of nettle cultivation for production different types products. The highest values of Ca (890 mg 100 g-1) and Zn (10,02 mg 100 g-1) were obtained in samples of wild nettle which were collected from marsh dark soil. The highest values of Mg (124 mg 100 g-1) and Fe (49,13 mg 100 g-1)  were determined in plants from chernozem with signs of gley in loess. The significant contents of chemical elements in wild nettle biomass have not only economic but also a great ecological significance as evidenced by its place in organic agriculture

Is previous respiratory disease a risk factor for lung cancer?

RATIONALE: Previous respiratory diseases have been associated with increased risk of lung cancer. Respiratory conditions often co-occur and few studies have investigated multiple conditions simultaneously. OBJECTIVES: Investigate lung cancer risk associated with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and asthma. METHODS: The SYNERGY project pooled information on previous respiratory diseases from 12,739 case subjects and 14,945 control subjects from 7 case-control studies conducted in Europe and Canada. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between individual diseases adjusting for co-occurring conditions, and patterns of respiratory disease diagnoses and lung cancer. Analyses were stratified by sex, and adjusted for age, center, ever-employed in a high-risk occupation, education, smoking status, cigarette pack-years, and time since quitting smoking. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Chronic bronchitis and emphysema were positively associated with lung cancer, after accounting for other respiratory diseases and smoking (e.g., in men: odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-1.48 and OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.21-1.87, respectively). A positive relationship was observed between lung cancer and pneumonia diagnosed 2 years or less before lung cancer (OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 2.33-4.70 for men), but not longer. Co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and/or pneumonia had a stronger positive association with lung cancer than chronic bronchitis "only." Asthma had an inverse association with lung cancer, the association being stronger with an asthma diagnosis 5 years or more before lung cancer compared with shorter. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this large international case-control consortium indicate that after accounting for co-occurring respiratory diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema continue to have a positive association with lung cancer

A five-coordinate manganese(iii) complex of a salen type ligand with a positive axial anisotropy parameter D

A new high-spin d4 roughly trigonal–bipyramidal (TBP) manganese(III) complex with a salen type ligand (H2L), namely MnL(NCS)·0.4H2O, has been synthesised and characterised by elemental analysis, ESI mass spectrometry, IR and UV-vis spectroscopy, and spectroelectrochemistry. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed an axial compression of the approximate TBP. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility and variable-temperature variable-field (VTVH) magnetisation measurements, as well as high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR) spectroscopy, were used to accurately describe the magnetic properties of this complex and, in particular, determine the spin Hamiltonian parameters: g-values and the zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters D and E. The HFEPR spectra allowed the extraction of fourth order ZFS parameters. Quantum chemical calculations reproduced well the electronic and geometric structures of this unusual complex and, in particular, its electronic absorption spectrum along with the spin Hamiltonian parameters

Effect modification of the association of cumulative exposure and cancer risk by intensity of exposure and time since exposure cessation: a flexible method applied to cigarette smoking and lung cancer in the SYNERGY Study.

The indiscriminate use of the cumulative exposure metric (the product of intensity and duration of exposure) might bias reported associations between exposure to hazardous agents and cancer risk. To assess the independent effects of duration and intensity of exposure on cancer risk, we explored effect modification of the association of cumulative exposure and cancer risk by intensity of exposure. We applied a flexible excess odds ratio model that is linear in cumulative exposure but potentially nonlinear in intensity of exposure to 15 case-control studies of cigarette smoking and lung cancer (1985-2009). Our model accommodated modification of the excess odds ratio per pack-year of cigarette smoking by time since smoking cessation among former smokers. We observed negative effect modification of the association of pack-years of cigarette smoking and lung cancer by intensity of cigarette smoke for persons who smoked more than 20-30 cigarettes per day. Patterns of effect modification were similar across individual studies and across major lung cancer subtypes. We observed strong negative effect modification by time since smoking cessation. Application of our method in this example of cigarette smoking and lung cancer demonstrated that reducing a complex exposure history to a metric such as cumulative exposure is too restrictive