Introduction. The development of modern society has led to an increase in the life expectancy, and thus to a significant increase in the number of elderly people. Therefore, in recent years a lot of ...attention has been paid to the examination of cognitive abilities in this population. The research focuses on changes in language, executive functions and memory. Aim. This study aimed to determine lexical-semantic abilities and executive functions in persons over the age of 65. Methods. The sample included 30 people ranging in age from 66 to 85. The respondents were divided into two age categories, with 16 respondents from the "young old" category and 14 respondents in the "middle-old and oldest-old" category. The sample included 13 respondents who had finished elementary school and 17 respondents who had finished secondary or higher/university education. The Semantic Test and the Verbal Fluency Test were used to assess lexical-semantic abilities. To assess executive functions, the Stroop test was used. Results. The results have shown that respondents with different age categories do not differ in their achievements on tests for the assessment of lexical-semantic abilities. However, differences in achievements were determined in relation to the level of education of the respondents. People with a higher educational level were more successful on the mentioned tests. Furthermore, the results show a difference in achievement on the test for assessing executive functions based on age and level of education. Conclusion. These findings indicate that executive functions are more sensitive to age than lexical-semantic abilities.
Display omitted
•Structural features of the copper(II), zinc(II) and cobalt(II)-quinolone complexes are presented and discussed.•Antimicrobial and antitumor activity of the selected coordination ...compounds is assessed.•Binding affinity of selected coordination compounds to calf-thymus DNA, bovine and human serum albumins are investigated.
Bioessential metal complexes with quinolone antibiotics as ligands attract wide attention in bioinorganic chemistry due to their greater biological potential that may lead to the synthesis of novel coordination compounds with enhanced pharmacological activity. In this review structural features of copper(II), zinc(II) and cobalt(II)-quinolone complexes are presented and discussed in detail. Antimicrobial and antitumor activity as well as the binding affinity of selected coordination compounds to calf-thymus DNA, bovine and human serum albumins are also investigated. Further perspectives related to the choice of the metal ion, quinolone ligand and various co-ligands are also discussed to clarify and predict the main factors that contribute to biological activity of the bioessential metal complexes.
We report an innovative low-cost wet precipitation synthesis method for gelatin-modified zinc oxide nanoparticles (GM ZnO NPs) at the interface between the gelatin hydrogel and aqueous electrolyte. ...Diffusion of ammonia through the hydrogel matrices with different gelatin contents induced precipitation of the product in contact with the surface of the aqueous solution of zinc ions. The obtained precipitate was subjected to thermal treatment to partially decompose the adsorbed gelatin in the NP structure. Physicochemical properties of obtained GM ZnO NPs were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetry (TG), photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), zeta potential measurements, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The estimated mean crystallite size of GM ZnO NP powders was in the range from 5.8 to 12.1 nm. The synthesized NPs exhibited nanosheet morphology and arranged into flake-like aggregates. The toxic potential was investigated in vitro in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTS) assay was used to assess cell viability, 2′,7′-dichlor-fluorescein-diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay to examine the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and comet assay to evaluate the genotoxic response. GM ZnO NPs slightly reduced HepG2 cell viability, did not induce ROS formation, and showed low genotoxic potential at very high doses (100 µg mL
−1
). ZnO NPs fabricated and modified using the proposed methodology deserve further study as potential candidates for antibacterial agents or dietary supplements with low overall toxicity.
Graphical abstract
Dissolution of drugs is a very important factor that directly affects their potential application. Due to the fact that solubility may act as a limiting factor in the process of absorption of the ...drug, it can also affect its bio-availableness. More than 40 percent of potential drugs have a property of a poor solubility in the water, resulting in potentially important pharmaceutical products not reaching patients or reaching their full potential. This work examined the possibility of improving the solubility of verapamil hydrochloride (VHCl) by applying mechanochemical treatment. The impact of mechanochemical treatment on physiochemical properties was comprehended by applying XRPD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, as well as FESEM analysis. Besides, particle size distribution was determined. Solubility of verapamil hydrochloride was determined by using UV-VIS spectroscopy. Finally, the solubility of verapamil hydrochloride was correlated with particle size distribution, structural and morphological characteristics.
Drought negatively affects plants by altering morphological, physiological and metabolic processes and ultimately reducing yields. Garlic (
L.), an important member of the Alliaceae family, is also ...sensitive to drought and maximizing the yield of garlic bulbs is largely dependent on water availability. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of drought stress on morphological and physiological characteristics, as well as on phenolic, sugar, inulin and free amino acid content and antioxidant activity in two Croatian garlic ecotypes, 'Istarski crveni' (IC) and Istarski bijeli (IB). Drought was induced by using polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG) solution (-0.6 MPa) starting 21 days after clove planting and lasted for 20 days. Drought reduced plant height, number of leaves and plant weight, but increased root length in both ecotypes compared to the control treatment. Among the physiological parameters, significant differences were observed between the two ecotypes studied in the spectral characteristics of the leaves, namely reflection in red, green and blue, VAL, values of the vegetation indices related to the chlorophyll content (CHI, GI), and the anthocyanin content (ARI). Ecotype IC showed higher antioxidant activity in the control treatment due to higher total phenolic content (TPC), but under drought conditions higher DPPH radical scavenging activity was determined in ecotype IB and higher values of FRAP in IC. Sucrose and glucose generally decreased under drought, while inulin increased in IB but decreased in IC. Total free amino acid content increased under drought in both ecotypes. In conclusion, drought tolerance of IB might be associated with increased accumulation of inulin and higher levels of amino acids, especially those shown to contribute to drought resistance. In IC, drought tolerance is associated with an increase in some amino acid compounds and better root growth in depth, probably due to a more efficient translocation of sucrose to the underground part of the plant.
Viruses are responsible for more than 50% of annual potato tuber yield losses and cause great economic damage. The traditional Croatian potato cultivar ‘Brinjak’ is important for local growers ...because of its economically profitable production and as a gene pool for future breeding programs. However, the full genetic potential of the cultivar cannot be exploited due to virus infection. In this study, we attempted to eliminate potato virus M (PVM) and potato virus S (PVS) from potato cultivar ‘Brinjak’ and to evaluate the effects on physiological parameters and yield. Shoot apices were isolated from PVM + PVS-infected sprouts and cultivated for six weeks on MS medium with the addition of 50 or 100 mg L−1 ribavirin. The surviving shoot apices were micropropagated. The in vitro post-eradication period lasted 200 days. DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR were performed on R0 and R1 plants 90 days after acclimatization to determine the sanitary status of the plants. Chlorophyll fluorescence and multispectral imaging were performed on the R0 plants at the same time. The success of PVS elimination was 33% at both ribavirin concentrations. However, neither concentration was successful in eliminating PVM. Plants with mixed infection (PVM + PVS) had more severe disease symptoms compared to PVM-infected plants, affecting photochemistry and multispectral parameters and, consequently, yield. PVM + PVS plants had significantly lower number and weight of tubers per plant and lower average tuber weight than plants with single PVM infection in most of the generations studied. The results indicate a strong negative impact of PVS in mixed infections with PVM and show the importance of its elimination from potato plants.
A possibility to apply raw, powdered peach shells (PS) as a biosorbent for water purification was studied. The PSs are locally available as a solid waste in a fruit juice factory; methylene blue (MB) ...was chosen as representative of common pollutants in textile industry wastewater. The phase composition of prepared particles was identified by XRD. The particle morphology was characterized by FE-SEM, while the size distribution was measured by a laser light-scattering particle size analyzer. The BET specific surface area was determined from N2 adsorption/desorption experiments. The effect of operating parameters: the biosorbent amount (50–1000mg/100mL), contact time (10–180min), solution pH (2–12) and initial concentration (10–100ppm) on biosorption efficiency was examined. Optimal conditions for MB removal were found to be: the biosorbent amount of 400mg/100mL and pH 5.5. A high efficiency of MB removal was established after 180min: 99% for MBi=10ppm and 76% for MBi=100ppm. Biosorption is well described by the Freundlich- and BET-type isotherms, implicating heterogeneous adsorption sites and interconnections between adsorbed molecules. The FTIR spectroscopy results indicate hydrogen bonding between the dye and the biomass. The obtained results shown that raw peach shell particles could be used as an efficient low-cost biosorbent for dye removal from water.
The Mediterranean blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was used as a pollution level indicator in the Boka Kotorska Bay of the southeastern Adriatic on the Montenegrin coast. The ever-increasing ...urbanization and industrialization, combined with a poor sewage system, an increase in both marine and inland traffic, as well as insufficient water circulation in the Bay itself have resulted in some level of pollution. Since heavy metals are extremely toxic and do not easily undergo biodecomposition, the results of this study supply valuable information concerning the metal pollution of the marine environment in Boka Kotorska Bay. The concentrations of the investigated metals and non-metals accumulated in the mussels were determined during the fall of 2007 using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sn and V, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) to determine the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Si, P, S, Cl, K and Ca. ED-XRF was also used to determine the levels of non-metals and elements present in high concentrations. Comparing the data from this study in relation to data from other regions for Mytilus galloprovincialis, the mussel sampled from the Boka Kotorska Bay showed a moderate level of pollution.
Catalytic materials are the greatest challenge for the commercial application of water electrolysis (WEs) and fuel cells (FCs) as clean energy technologies. There is a need to find an alternative to ...expensive and unavailable platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. This study aimed to reduce the cost of PGM materials by replacing Ru with RuO
2
and lowering the amount of RuO
2
by adding abundant and multifunctional ZnO. A ZnO@RuO
2
composite in a 10:1 molar ratio was synthesized by microwave processing of a precipitate as a green, low-cost, and fast method, and then annealed at 300°C and 600°C to improve the catalytic properties. The physicochemical properties of the ZnO@RuO
2
composites were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The electrochemical activity of the samples was investigated by linear sweep voltammetry in acidic and alkaline electrolytes. We observed good bifunctional catalytic activity of the ZnO@RuO
2
composites toward HER and OER in both electrolytes. The improved bifunctional catalytic activity of the ZnO@RuO
2
composite by annealing was discussed and attributed to the reduced number of bulk oxygen vacancies and the increased number of established heterojunctions.
The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of research that investigates coordination abilities in basic individual sports, such as athletics, gymnastics, climbing, and swimming. The ...relevant sports that have a process of identifying very young talents are precisely these basic individual sports. The following electronic databases were used: Web of Science and PubMed. A total of 16 studies met the criteria for participation in this study. Since only a few studies have been done on this topic, this review included studies for the last 30 years. The sample of respondents in the included studies consisted of both males and females, and the total number was 642. The study findings indicate that coordination is a crucial motor ability with a significant impact on athletic success in youth. The level of coordination abilities increases with sports experience, so the development of coordination should be one of the priorities in the training process of gymnasts, athletes, sports climbers and swimmers in younger sportsman ages.
PDF
