A Folded Conformation of 1,4,8,11-Tetrathiacyclotetradecane in its Mercury Compound: l,4,8,11-Tetrathiacyclotetradecanedipicratomercury( II) Heminitromethane, [Hg(C10H20S4)· (C6H2N307)2] · 1/2CH3N02

The crystals of 1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecanedipicratomercury( II) heminitromethane, [Hg(C10H20S4) · (CsH2Ns01h] · 1/2CHsN02, are triclinic, spcrce group Pl with a = 1.2794(6), b = 1.3108(5), c = = 1.0090(3) nm, a= 92.85(3) 0 , fJ = 107.67(3)0 , y = 94.54(4) 0 , V = 1.60236 nm3, and Z = 2. The structure was solved by the heavy atom method and refined by the least-squares method to R = 0.030 for the 7321 unique reflections. It consists of discrete, well separated molecules. Coordination of the mercury atom is a distorted octahedron with four sulfur atoms (Hg-S distances are 245.8(1), 251.9(1), 262 .. 9(2), and 305.0(2) pm) from the macrocycle and two oxygen moms (Hg-0 distances are 253.1(3) and 255.8(3) pm) from the two picrates. The macrocycle is folded so that three sulfur atoms with short Hg-S bonds are in an equatorial and the fourth in an apical position. The conformation of the coordinated macrocycle is compared to the conformation of cyclotetradecane at 116 K and to the conformation of the free crysta-lline macrocycle

Rheological and thermophysical properties of carragenan and β-lactoglobulin model systems treated with high hydrostatic pressure

Svrha ovog rada je ispitati utjecaj tretiranja visokim hidrostatskim tlakom na reološka i termofizička svojstva modelnih sustava β-laktoglobulina i karagenana. Suspenzije β-laktoglobulina tretirane su visokim hidrostatskim tlakom od 300 do 600 MPa. Vrijeme tretiranja bilo je 5 i 10 minuta. Mjerenja reoloških svojstava modelnih sustava karagenana i β-laktoglobulina provedena su rotacionim reometrom, Rheometric Scientific RM-180 (Rheometric Scientific, Inc., Piscataway, USA), na temperaturi od 20 ºC. Reološki parametri određeni su upotrebom Ostwald de Waele-ovog zakona. Rezultati ispitivanja pokazuju da su svi ispitivani sustavi imali ne-newtonski, pseudoplastični karakter, te da uzorci tretirani visokim hidrostatskim tlakom imaju promijenjene reološke značajke uslijed djelomične denaturacije proteina proporcionalne primijenjenom tlaku i vremenu tretiranja. Temperature faznih promjena određene su metodom diferencijalne termičke analize (DTA). Utvrđeno je da visoki hidrostatski tlak značajno snižava temperaturu zamrzavanja i odmrzavanja modelnih sustava β-laktoglobulina, te da karagenan posjeduje određena krioprotektorska svojstva.The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of high hydrostatic pressure treatment on the rheological and thermophisical properties of β-lactoglobulin and carragenan model systems. Suspensions of β-lactoglobulin were treated with a high hydrostatic pressure in a range of 300 to 600 MPa. Holding period was 5 and 10 minutes. Measurements were performed using rotational viscosimeter Rheometric Scientific RM-180 at 20 oC. The rheological parameters were determined by the Ostwald de Waele law. The results of the investigation have shown that all investigated systems are non-Newtonian – pseudoplastic. All samples treated with high hydrostatic pressure have changed rheological characteristics. The extent of protein denaturation was proportional to the intensity of applied pressure and holding time. The phase transition temperatures were determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA). High pressure treatment caused depression of freezing point and melting point, respectively. Carragenan acts as a crioprotectant

Primjena inhibitora kinaza u liječenju bolesnika s uznapredovalim rakom štitnjače

Although most patients with thyroid cancer have a favorable clinical course, some patients develop a more aggressive type of cancer and exhibit more rapid disease progression with worse prognosis. Those patients usually exhibit mutations of proteins such as tyrosine kinase enzymes that play a significant role in regulation of tumor proliferation and spreading. Development of targeted therapies is based on the inhibition of mutated kinases which are involved in the MAPK signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to present the initial results of clinical experience with kinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DT C), poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDT C), and medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) who exhibited rapid disease progression. A total of 17 adult patients (11 women, mean age 53.3 years) managed for progressive, metastatic disease were included in the study. Twelve patients with DT C and PDT C were previously tested for BRAF mutations, of whom nine that had tumor tissue negative for the BRAF V600E mutation received sorafenib, while three patients with tumors harboring the BRAF V600E mutation were treated with vemurafenib. Patients with MTC were treated with sunitinib, vandetanib, and sorafenib. Two patients with tumors harboring the BRAF mutation treated with vemurafenib showed restoration of radioiodine uptake. Most of patients showed significant improvement in disease status but of limited duration until disease progression. Although there was an improvement in progression-free survival, future research has to achieve a greater and longer-lasting response, probably by utilizing combined targeted therapy.Iako većina bolesnika s karcinomom štitnjače ima povoljan klinički tijek, ipak neki bolesnici pokazuju agresivniji tijek bolesti s razvojem uznapredovalih formi tumora i lošijom prognozom. Razlog su vjerojatno mutacije proteina, uglavnom enzima tirozin kinaza koji imaju značajnu ulogu u proliferaciji i rastu tumora. Razvoj ciljanih terapija zasnovan je na inhibiranju mutiranih kinaza BRAF, MEK, NRAS, c-KIT koje su uključene u signalni put MAPK. U radu su predstavljeni preliminarni rezultati liječenja inhibitorima kinaza u bolesnika s metastatskim diferenciranim karcinomom štitnjače (DT C), slabo diferenciranim karcinomom štitnjače (PDT C) i medularnim karcinomom štitnjače (MTC). U izvješće je uključeno ukupno 17 odraslih bolesnika (11 žena, prosječna dob 53,3 godine) liječenih zbog progresivne, metastatske bolesti. Dvanaest bolesnika s DT C i PDT C prethodno je testirano na BRAF mutacije. Devet bolesnika kod kojih je tumorsko tkivo bilo negativno na mutaciju BRAF V600E primali su sorafenib, dok su tri bolesnika s tumorima koji nose mutaciju BRAF V600E liječena vemurafenibom u cilju rediferencijacije tumora, a u dva bolesnika došlo je do ponovne akumulacije radiojoda na scintigramu tijela. Bolesnici s MTC-om liječeni su sunitinibom, vandetanibom i sorafenibom. U većine bolesnika došlo je do pozitivnog terapijskog odgovora uz poboljšanje stanja, ali ograničenog trajanja. Buduća istraživanja bi trebala osigurati bolji i trajniji terapijski odgovor, vjerojatno primjenom kombinirane ciljane terapije

Reološka, funkcionalna i termofizička svojstva sustava proteina sirutke tretiranih ultrazvukom s dodatkom saharoze ili mlijeka u prahu

Ultrasound represents a non-thermal food processing technique and has great potential to be used in the food industry. The objective of this research was to observe ultrasound impact on physical properties of model systems prepared with whey protein isolates (WPI) or whey protein concentrates (WPC) with or without sucrose or milk powder addition. This kind of systems is often used in milk beverages and milk based products. Model systems with protein and milk powder or sucrose addition were treated with high power ultrasound (HPU) probe of 30 kHz frequency for 5 and 10 minutes. After sonication several properties were determined and examined: solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties, rheological and thermophysical properties. Ultrasound treatment showed severe influence on all examined properties, caused by protein denaturation as a consequence of cavitation and microstreaming effects. Ultrasound treatment caused decrease in protein solubility for whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrates model systems, compared to untreated sample. There was statistically significant increase in foam volume of model systems, prepared with sucrose or milk powder and WPI after ultrasound treatment. Statistically significant decrease in emulsion activity and emulsion stability indices was observed for model systems prepared solely with isolates and concentrates. After treatment of whey protein model systems (with or without milk powder or sucrose) with 30 kHz ultrasound, the changes in consistency coefficients (k) were observed, but there were no significant changes in flow behaviour indices (n). After addition of milk powder or sucrose, statistically significant decrease in initial freezing and melting temperatures was observed due to the ultrasound treatment.Ultrazvuk je novija netoplinska metoda tretiranja hrane, te ima veliki potencijal primjene u prehrambenoj industriji. Svrha ovog istraživanja je utvrditi utjecaj ultrazvuka na fizikalna svojstva modelnih sustava pripremljenih s izolatima (WPI) i koncentratima proteina sirutke (WPC), sa ili bez dodataka saharoze ili mlijeka u prahu. Takvi se sustavi obično koriste kod mliječnih napitaka na bazi mlijeka. Modelni sustavi s proteinima sirutke i dodacima saharoze ili mlijeka u prahu tretirani su ultrazvukom visoke snage (HPU) frekvencije 30 kHz kroz 5 i 10 minuta. Različiti parametri su ispitivani kao što su: topljivost proteina, svojstva pjenjenja i emulgiranja, te termofizikalna svojstva. Tretman ultrazvukom pokazao je veliki utjecaj na sva ispitivana svojstva, zbog denaturacije proteina uzrokovane kavitacijom i učinkom mikrostrujanja. Pokazalo se smanjenje u topljivosti proteina kod WPI i WPC sustava, u usporedbi s netretiranim uzorcima. Pokazano je značajno povećanje u svojstvima pjenjenja nakon tretmana ultrazvukom kod sustava pripremljenih sa saharozom ili mlijekom u prahu, te WPI-a. Također je pokazano smanjenje emulgirajućih svojstava kod sustava pripremljenih samo s izolatima i koncentratima. Nakon tretmana sustava proteina sirutke (sa ili bez dodataka mlijeka u prahu ili saharoze), zamijećene su promjene u koeficijentu konzistencije (k), ali nisu uočene promjene u indeksu tečenja (n). Nakon dodataka mlijeka u prahu ili saharoze, primijećeno je značajno smanjenje inicijalnih temperatura smrzavanja i odmrzavanja uslijed tretmana ultrazvukom

DETERMINANTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE WEST HERZEGOVINA CANTON

A study of COVID-19 infected patients was conducted regarding to organic and psychological characteristics. The findings of the study indicate that in the period of the pandemic in 2020, a total of 78 infection cases were confirmed in West Herzegovina Canton. Of the total number of infected, 55.1% are women and 44.9% are men. Of the infected population, 16.7% were hospitalized. By monitoring the COVID-19 disease in West Herzegovina Canton, we conclude how all manifestations of the disease were represented, from asymptomatic, through mild respiratory to the most severe clinical picture with fatal outcomes. The mortality rate in West Herzegovina Canton is 5.1%. The study showed that a total of 28.2% of COVID-19 positive patients before infecting with virus, were most likely to suffer from hypertension, diabetes and malignancies. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that a total of 71.9% of those infected are without underlying diseases. Also, the results indicate that people with COVID-19 in addition to the characteristic symptoms of the disease (fever, fatigue, cough, etc.) had certain mental ailments such as decreased general mood, increased anxiety, panic attacks, acute stress disorder and others

Utjecaj ultrazvuka visokog intenziteta i pasterizacije na udjel antocijana u soku od jagode

The purpose of this investigation is to study the influence of high intensity ultrasound and pasteurization on the stability of anthocyanins and their content in strawberry juice. Different ultrasound process parameters for the treatment of juices are compared to the classical thermal treatments. For ultrasound treatments, three parameters were varied according to the statistical experimental design. Central composite design was used to optimize and design experimental parameters: temperature (25, 40 and 55 °C), amplitude (60, 90 and 120 μm) and time (3, 6, and 9 min). It was found that the anthocyanin content after pasteurization (85 °C for 2 min) was reduced by 5.3 to 5.8 % compared to untreated juices. After treatment with ultrasound (20 °C for 3, 6 or 9 min) or thermosonication (40 °C for 3, 6 or 9 min and 60 °C for 3 or 6 min), the degradation of anthocyanins was generally less intensive and was 0.7–4.4 % compared to the untreated juices. Only in the case of ultrasonic treatment at a temperature of 55 °C and treatment time of 9 min the total content of anthocyanins, compared to untreated juice, was reduced by 5.8 to 7.1 %, and their degradation was greater than that of pasteurized juices. From the results it can be concluded that total anthocyanin content was greater in more than 85 % of the selected ultrasound treatments compared to pasteurized juices. Ultrasound treatment can replace pasteurization in terms of preserving total anthocyanin content. The modelling approaches using response surface methodology (RSM) developed in this study exploit data in order to identify the optimal processing parameters for lowering degradation of anthocyanins in strawberry juice during ultrasound processing.Svrha je ovog istraživanja bila ispitati utjecaj ultrazvuka visokog intenziteta i pasterizacije na stabilnost antocijana i njihov udjel u soku od jagode. Različiti parametri ultrazvučnog procesa za obradu sokova uspoređivani su s klasičnim toplinskim postupcima. Prema dizajnu statističko-eksperimentalne metode varirana su tri parametra ultrazvučnog postupka. Središnja složena metoda upotrijebljena je pri optimiranju i dizajniranju eksperimentalnih parametara: temperatura (25, 40 i 55 °C), amplituda (60, 90 i 120 µm) i vremena (3, 6 i 9 min). Utvrđeno je da je udjel antocijana nakon pasterizacije (pri 85 °C tijekom 2 min) smanjen za 5,3 do 5,8 % u usporedbi s netretiranim sokovima. Nakon obrade sokova ultrazvukom (pri 20 ° C tijekom 3, 6 ili 9 min) ili kombinacijom topline i ultrazvuka (pri 40 °C tijekom 3, 6 ili 9 min i pri 60 °C tijekom 3 ili 6 min) degradacija antocijana općenito je bila manje izražena, pa je njihov udio u usporedbi s netretiranim sokovima iznosio 0,7–4,4 %. Samo pri ultrazvučnom postupku pri temperaturi od 55 °C i vremenu tretiranja od 9 min ukupni je udjel antocijana u usporedbi s netretiranim sokovima smanjen za 5,8 do 7,1 %, a njihova je degradacija bila veća nego u pasteriziranim sokovima. Iz rezultata se može zaključiti da je ukupni udjel antocijana bio veći u više od 85 % odabranih sokova tretiranih ultrazvukom s obzirom na pasterizirane sokove. Da bi se očuvao ukupni udjel antocijana, ultrazvučni postupak može zamijeniti postupak pasterizacije. Optimalni procesni parametri za smanjenje degradacije antocijana u sokovima od jagode tijekom ultrazvučne obrade utvrđeni su primjenom metode odzivnih površina

Advantages and disadvantages of high power ultrasound application in the dairy industry

Konzerviranje hrane termičkom sterilizacijom još uvijek je najčešći oblik konzerviranja. Međutim, osim poželjnog učinka na mikroorganizme, povišena temperatura istovremeno izaziva značajne promjene na nutritivnim i organoleptičkim značajkama hrane. Gubitak kvalitete proizvoda može biti povezan s deformacijom strukture i teksture, modifikacijom makromolekula i stvaranjem novih tvari iz reakcija kataliziranih toplinom. Ultrazvuk je pritom jedna od novih metoda koja može uvelike pomoći različitim procesima u prehrambenoj industriji. Nove primjene ultrazvuka visoke snage (HPU) uključuju uništavanje mikroorganizama, pomoć kod membranskih procesa, poboljšavanje teksture mliječnih proizvoda, poboljšavanje funkcionalnih i tehnoloških značajki proteina itd. Ultrazvuk se već uspješno primjenjuje u postupcima emulgiranja i homogenizacije mlijeka, ali je pritom nužno voditi računa o mogućim negativnim promjenama, kao što su oksidacija masti, uništavanje enzima te denaturacija proteina. Pravilna primjena ultrazvuka zahtijeva primjenu odgovarajuće snage, amplitude zvučnog vala i frekvencije ultrazvuka, ali i optimalno vrijeme tretiranja kod nižih temperatura kako bi se izbjegle nepoželjne promjene tretiranog materijala.Preservation of food with thermal sterilisation is usually the most common way nowadays. Besides the positive aim of preservation regarding microorganisms’ reduction, elevated temperature in processing simultaneously causes serious changes in nutritive and organoleptical properties of food. Loss of food quality is related to structure and texture deformations, modification of macromolecules and creation of new compounds coming from reactions that are catalised with temperature. One of the new non-thermal processes that can in large scale improve different processes in food industry is ultrasound. In the last five years, new applications of high power ultrasound (HPU) include inactivation of enzymes and microorganisms, assistance in membrane processes, improvement of dairy product texture, improvement of functional properties of proteins etc. High power ultrasound application is used in emulsification and milk homogenization, but in these processes the most important thing is to monitor possible negative effect like oxidation of fats, inactivation of valuable enzymes and denaturation of proteins. Controled and optimized application of ultrasound demands application of specific ultrasound frequency and optimal treatment time. Treatments should be performed at lower temperatures to avoid negative side effects on treated materials