Background:
Dendritic cell (DC)-derived indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) degrades tryptophan to kynurenine, which promotes conversion of inflammatory T cells in immunosuppressive regulatory T cells ...(Tregs). We analyzed the significance of the IDO:Treg axis for inducing and maintaining mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis (UC).
Methods:
Dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis in BALB/c mice (model for mucosal healing) and C57BL/6 mice (model for persistent disease) was used. Serum, fecal samples and colon-infiltrating immune cells of 65 patients with UC with mucosal healing or persistent colitis were analyzed.
Results:
Significantly higher serum levels of kynurenine and downregulated inflammatory cytokines were noticed in DSS-treated BALB/c mice compared with C57BL/6 mice. Increased IDO activity and attenuated capacity for antigen presentation and production of inflammatory cytokines, observed in BALB/c DCs, was followed by a significantly lower number of inflammatory T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells and a notably increased number of Tregs in the colons of DSS-treated BALB/c mice. DCs and Tregs were crucially important for the maintenance of mucosal healing since their depletion aggravated colitis. Mucosal healing, followed by an increase in kynurenine and intestinal Tregs, was re-established when BALB/c DCs were transferred into DC-depleted or Treg-depleted DSS-treated BALB/c mice. This phenomenon was completely abrogated by the IDO inhibitor. Significantly higher serum and fecal levels of kynurenine, accompanied by an increased presence of intestinal Tregs, were noticed in patients with UC with mucosal healing and negatively correlated with disease severity, fecal calprotectin, colon-infiltrating interferon γ and interleukin-17-producing cells, serum and fecal levels of inflammatory cytokines.
Conclusion:
IDO-dependent expansion of endogenous Tregs should be further explored as a new approach for the induction and maintenance of mucosal healing in patients with UC.
•Nine orders of magnitude conductivity increase upon carbonization.•Significant intrinsic capacitance that should be accounted for in composite materials.•Low sweep rates dominated by diffusion ...limited capacitance vs. electric double layer charging.•Direct correlation between oxygenated surface area and diffusion limited capacitance.
Transformation of tannic acid (TA), a cheap, abundant and environmentally friendly (by)product, upon carbonization at various temperatures was examined as it is extensively being used in energy storing devices. In addition of reviling what is happening with TA upon carbonization, a step further has been taken to scrutinize the role of carbonized TA (CTA) playing in energy storage composites. Increasing the carbonization temperature from 500 °C to 800 °C led to a nine orders of magnitude increase in conductivity, from 9·10–9 S cm−1 to 6 S cm−1, respectively. Concurrently, transformation from largely mesoporous and low surface area (≈10 m2 g−1, at 500 °C) to dominantly microporous materials with respectable surface area (≈292 m2 g−1, at 800 °C) is evidenced, while surface oxygen content dropped from 18.2 to 3.5 at.% in the same temperature range. Capacitance values are determined to see how it might contribute to the overall capacitance of composites. It was found that capacitance is greatly affected by these transformations and range from 18 F g−1 to 38 F g−1 when in pristine carbonized condition, to 75 F g−1 when mixed with conducting Vulcan XC72. Decoupling electric double layer and diffusion limited capacitance (Cdiff) indicated that later is predominant and can be associated with transformations of various surface oxygen groups with linear relationship found between Cdiff and surface area occupied by oxygen per gram of sample. Presented results suggest that carbonized TA can contribute significantly to capacitance and conductivity as a part of a composite electrode in energy storing devices and its contribution to overall capacitance cannot be neglected. Alternatively, carbonized TA, pristine or activated, can be viewed as a cheap and abundant material for green supercapacitors.
Background/Aim. Heart transplantation is the most effective way to treat patients in the terminal stage of heart failure. Endomyocardial biopsy has proven to be a safe and appropriate technique, with ...little sampling error, and remains, to this day, one of the most commonly used methods for diagnosing acute rejection. In 1990, the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation defined a standardized system for grading the severity of acute transplant rejection regarding endomyocardial sampling histopathological analysis. The aim of the study was to assess the morphological, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescent markers of cell- and antibody-mediated rejection of heart transplants in patients monitored during 2020. Methods. From 31 patients transplanted at the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery of the University Clinical Center of Serbia, endomyocardial biopsy material was obtained, then processed and analyzed at the Institute of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. Results. The average Transplant Rejection Score (TRS) value was 0.42. The Spearman's correlation test did not show a statistically significant relationship between the TRS value and the difference between the ejection fraction values three and twelve months after transplantation. Conclusion. The mean TRS value obtained in this study suggests dominant cell-mediated graft rejection.
Abstract Skeletal class II division 1 malocclusion is primarily characterized by maxillary protrusion, mandibular retrusion or a combination of both. Treatment modalities for these patients are ...different depending on the age and the severity of the case. In adult patients with skeletal class II division 1, where the discrepancy is very severe, orthodontic and orthognathic surgery combined are often necessary to ensure an appropriate treatment, while prosthodontic treatment may be a challenge due to the skeletal discrepancies of the maxilla and the mandible. This clinical report presents a 45-year-old patient with a diagnosis of Angle Class II division 1 malocclusion. After clinical and radiographic observation and consultation with an orthodontist and maxillofacial surgeon, a combination of surgical and orthodontic therapy was proposed. Considering that the patient refused the surgical procedure due to fear, orthodontic therapy was carried out first, which improved the aesthetic and functional characteristics, but did not give results in increasing the vertical dimension of the occlusion. Therefore, further therapy was prosthetic, and was carried out by making all-ceramic maxillary and mandibular fixed dental prostheses; the patient was successfully rehabilitated and the anteroposterior discrepancy between the dental arches was corrected. Combined orthodontic and prosthetic treatment can be a good option in the complex treatment of patients with skeletal class II division 1 malocclusion providing functional rehabilitation of the stomatognathic system and improving facial appearance and the quality of life of the patient.
This article examines issues related to the constraining factors of nautical tourism based on a three-dimensional structure of constraints. With a higher level of respondents' education, the ...significance of the intrapersonal and structural dimensions decreases. However, with the rise of monthly income, the significance of structural constraints decreases and the significance of interpersonal constraints marginally increases. For respondents who travel once a year, the interpersonal dimension of constraints is the most significant, while it is less significant for respondents that rarely travel or travel several times a year. Results of this research can be of use to nautical tourism-based managers and to all other stakeholders involved.
Caprine and bovine milks have a similar overall gross composition, but vary considerably in the ratios of their casein components. These differences in colloidal casein micelles could affect directly ...or indirectly the heat stability of caprine and bovine milks at their natural pH. In the present work, the differences in colloidal stability of caprine and bovine milk have been studied by analysing the effect of heat treatment and skimming on precipitation of proteins. Raw and heated milk samples (70 °C/5 min, 80°C/5 min and 90°C/5 min) were centrifuged at 600, 2000, and 4500 g. The amount of precipitate formed after skimming was measured and the protein composition of both precipitates and supernatants analysed using the SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and densitometry. In caprine milk, the heat treatment prior to skimming had a statistically significant effect on protein precipitation. Centrifugal force had a statistically significant effect on amount of precipitate for both milks, but the amount was 2 to 4 times higher for caprine milk. When defatting the milk for electrophoresis, a centrifugal force of 600 g appeared to be the most appropriate, in order to avoid protein loss and a possible error in the interpretation of results. Results of this study could also serve as the basis for further investigations on adjusting the skimming conditions for caprine milk in industrial dairy processing environment.
This study aimed to evaluate the potentials for skin-beneficial effects of the hydroethanolic extract of the aerial parts of ironwort (Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. subsp. raeseri) and its ...fractions (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water). For these purposes, chemical analysis and in vitro antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial assays, as well as determination of sun protection factor (SPF), were performed. The highest total phenolic content and quantity of individual flavonoids, chlorogenic acid and verbascoside were determined in the n-butanol fraction, which is in line with results obtained for antioxidant activity. The greatest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most common causative agents of the skin infections in humans, was exhibited by the ethyl acetate fraction. The strongest anti-tyrosinase activity was shown by the hydroethanolic extract (52.64% of inhibition at 100 μg/mL). Almost all tested samples showed photoprotective activity with SPF higher than 6 obtained at a low concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, which was more than 15 for the butanol fraction. These findings revealed that the hydroethanolic extract of S. raeseri aerial parts could be a valuable ingredient in the formulation of cosmetic and medicinal products intended to overcome various skin disorders.
In recent years, much attention has been paid to pharmaceuticals as potential toxic bioactive substances in the worldwide environment. These compounds are continuously introduced into the ...surroundings in small concentrations, which certainly affects the quality of water, ecosystem, and the general health of living organisms. Photocatalysis is a promising technique for treating pharmaceutically active compounds as organic pollutants over traditional technologies. This study proposes the application of photocatalysts composed of zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO2), synthesized using a solid-state method, for the photocatalytic degradation of two selected psychoactive drugs, amitriptyline (AMI) and alprazolam (ALP), under simulated solar and UV irradiation in an aqueous system. The newly synthesized photocatalysts were characterized using the following techniques: SEM/EDS, XRD, DLS, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The obtained data confirmed the successful synthesis and the possible photocatalytic application of the new materials. Concerning the photocatalytic evaluation, the main results indicate that the highest removal efficiency of AMI and ALP was reached in the presence of ZnO/SnO2 synthesized in a molar ratio of 2:1 and calcined at 700 °C, under 1.0 mg/mL catalyst loading. Based on the reutilization findings, it can be concluded that the mentioned photocatalyst had not lost its efficiency after three successive runs for the photodegradation of ALP. Additionally, pure ZnO powders showed the highest activity after calcination at 500 °C, in the case of both examined pollutants. The experiments with tert-butanol, sodium fluoride, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid suggested that the relative contribution of various reactive species changed in the following order: positively charged holes > OHfree• > OHads•.
This is the first study on antioxidant and antibacterial activity of essential oils of A. sylvestris and A. pancicii against the human pathogens. In the oil of A. sylvestris, the main compounds were ...limonene (75.3%) and α-pinene (9.6%), while in the oil of A. pancicii the main compounds were β-phellandrene (54.9%), α-pinene (14.5%) and α-phellandrene (4.05%). The results of ABTS have shown that antioxidant activity ranged between 1.48 and 2.07 mg VitC/g for 30 μL/mL of tested concentration. IC
50
values in DPPH assay ranged between 59.895 and 149.498 mg/mL of tested concentrations. Antibacterial activity of the essential oils and antibiotics against pathogenic bacterial strains was investigated using microwell dilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were in the ranges of MIC/MBC = 0.11/54.40 mg/mL and 0.10/48.20 mg/mL (respectively). When combined with antibiotics, the oils have exhibited synergism and may reduce the minimum effective dose of antibiotics required and minimize its side effects.
The principal aim of this study was to develop an analytical scale for domestic tourism motivations and constraints for visiting complex destinations with multiple offerings, containing both cultural ...and natural assets. A survey was conducted among 454 respondents from Serbia who have experienced multi-attraction destinations in the Lower and Middle Danube region. In part, motives were derived from the studies of Beard and Ragheb (1983), Fodness (1994) and Ryan and Glendon (1998), while the scale of constraints was based on the study of Dong and Chick (2012). Some new motives and constraints were also introduced. The results of exploratory factor analysis (the first phase), indicate four motivating factors (Knowledge and experience, Visiting attractions, Rest and relaxation, Research and prestige) as well as four constraints factors (Structural, Inter/Intrapersonal, Lack of information and recommendation, Lack of time). Finally, while some items were excluded from the scales during the confirmatory factor analysis (the second phase), the analysis confirmed the four-dimensional structure of Multi-attraction travel motivation and constraints scales.
•The paper provides a domestic travel motivation and constraints scale.•The scales are applicable to multi-attraction destinations.•The study revealed four motivating factors and four constraints factors.•The motive Visiting attractions can be adopted to fit any multi-attraction destination.
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