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Organic residue analysis (ORA) of pott ery is a frequently used and important part of archaeological research today. It can provide information about the diet or the use of pott ery and many other aspects of daily lives of archaeological populations, which would otherwise be lost. The chemical compounds that are most often preserved in ceramics and are therefore very suitable for this type of analysis are lipids (e.g. fatt y acids, triglycerides, alcohols, alkanes, wax esters, ketones). There are several methods of extracting lipids from ceramics, depending on what we want to fi nd out; those most commonly used are direct acid extraction and solvent extraction. After the extraction, analyses are performed by gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) and, when possible, 13C isotope analysis from palmitic and stearic acid (GC-C-IRMS). This paper briefl y describes the mentioned methods, the chemical background, and the possibilities and examples of the already conducted research including ORA. Organic residue analysis begins with sampling, where it is very important to avoid contamination; therefore, a proposal is made for the procedure of sampling pott ery sherds for ORA, with the emphasis on adequate sample packaging (aluminium foil). It is also important to note that the researcher should be provided with as much contextual information as possible. Also, a proposal for a sampling form for ORA is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium occurs in the environment naturally and as a pollutant. Its exposure is inevitable and may produce toxic effects in many organs and organ systems through binding to biological structures, accumulation in internal organs or induction of free radical production. Another important aspect of Cd toxicity is its interaction, often anthagonistic, with essential elements. Vice versa, additional intake of the essential elements may have benefi cial infl uence on distribution and toxic effects of cadmium. Selenium is an essential microelement and a constituent of many selenoproteins with antioxidant properties that bind cadmium (and other toxic elements such as mercury or arsenic). This review summarizes results, to date, of cadmium toxicokinetics and toxicodinamics, selenium biokinetics and biodinamics, as well as mechanisms of cadmium-selenium interaction and their impact on the oxidative status derived from the studies based upon mainly on animal experiments and on limited number of human studies. The wide variety of different doses, dose ratios, element administration modes and exposure lenghts of cadmium and selenium often yielded contradictory results. Future studies should be focused on assessment of effects of cadmium and selenium interaction in sensitive population groups and mechanisms of that interaction. Regarding animal studies, doses and exposure should be adjusted to long-term low exposure levels that are usually found in human population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To assess tile effect of the implementation of tile guidelines for Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in the Family Medicine Teams (FMT) in Zenica municipality using a special flowchart designed for diabetes (SFD) tocontrol lipids level improvement in DM type 2 patients. Methods The review was conducted among 853 DM Type 2 patients older than 18. In 19 FMTs in Zenica we checked patients' charts made two years before (2003- 2005) and two years after (2005- 2007) the implementation of guidelines for DM. We divided all the stablsihed values of lipids and all the FMT on tile basis of the acievement of an optimal level (cholesterol < 4.5 mmol/L; LDL-cholesterol < 2.5; triglyceride < 1.7 mmol/L) and failure to achieve the optimal level (cholesterol > 4.5 retool/L; LDL- cholesterol > 2.5 retool/L; TG > 1.7 mmol/L). Results A total number of 853 DM Type 2 patients' records were analysed, 46 per one FMT. Four out of 19 FMT leaders (21%) were men and 15 (79%) were women. The average age was 46.6 years. A statistically significant improvement for optimal level of LDL - cholesterol (19 vs. 531; p<0.0001), cholesterol (67 vs. 212; p <0.0001) and triglyceride (227 vs. 463; p <0.0001) before and after implementation of SFD, respectively, has been found. The statistically significant improvement (per teams) for optimal triglyceride level (p<0.0001) for 10/19 FMT has been found too. Conclusion After the implementation of lipids guidelines for DM, most of tile FMT in Zenica town improved the optimal level of lipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: "The fatty liver" is over collection of fat (triglycerides) inside of the liver cells leads to middle increased liver. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis appears at the patients with pathological level of the lipids in their blood, at the diabetic patients, and at the obese patients. The safest method for diagnosis of the fatty liver is biopsy of the liver, but the ultrasound of the liver is also very objective method for diagnosis. The goal of the research was to find connection between pathological ultrasound of liver (fatty liver) and pathological levels cholesterol, triglycerides, sugar in the blood of all of the patients. The patients and Methods: There were 170 of the patients in the trans-section study (57 of the men (33.50%) and 113 of the women (66.50%). The patients were divided in two groups: a) experimental group with the patients with pathological level of lipids in their blood (32 of the men, and 59 of the women), and b) control group with the patients with normal values of the lipids in their blood (25 of the men, and 54 of the women). Criteria for excluding from research are: the patients under age of 30 years. Cholesterol, triglycerides, sugar, ultrasound of liver was determined in all patients. Results and Discussion: There were 40 of the patients with pathological ultrasound in experimental group, and 11 of the patients with pathological ultrasound in control group (P<0.0001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of our study was to determine the interrelations between the "first", non-enzymatic, and the "second", enzymatic line of antioxidant defense in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and manifested cardiovascular complications. The second aim was to determine the relations between pro-oxidant (lipid status) and antioxidant parameters in patients under observation. Methods: In our case-control study, a total of 117 type 2 diabetic patients (69 with and 48 without cardiovascular complications) and 42 healthy subjects were included. Antioxidant enzymatic parameters: erythrocyte, Cu,Zn-SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR), as well as total antioxidant status (TAS), bilirubin, uric acid, total proteins, albumin and haptoglobin were determined. The enzymatic antioxidant parameters and TAS were analyzed using commercial tests manufactured by Randox Ltd. UK, based on spectrophotometer methods, while the other non-enzymatic and lipid parameters were determined by standard laboratory methods. Results: In relation to healthy subjects, type 2 diabetics with cardiovascular complications had significantly lower values of enzymatic antioxidants (P < 0.001), and higher values of total bilirubin (P = 0.050), uric acid (P < 0.001) and haptoglobin (P < 0.001). Weak positive correlation was found between SOD and GPx (R = 0.289, P = 0.028) and between SOD and GR (R = 0.259, P = 0.045), while weak negative correlation was obtained between GPx and uric acid (R = -0.35, P = 0.009), GPx and total bilirubine (R = -0.40, P = 0.018). TAS correlated weakly with triglycerides (R = 0.32, P = 0.037), while GPx and GR correlated with HDL-cholesterol (R = 0.457, P = 0.007; and R = 0.466, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, it may be concluded that type 2 diabetic patients have significantly modified antioxidant defense, with a varying degree of imbalance between the "pool" of non-enzymatic substances and the activity of enzymatic antioxidants, which depends on whether they have or not manifested cardiovascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. Tibolone is a preparation that belongs to the group of steroidal substances. The effects of the use of the use of tibolone are the consequence of the activities of its metabolities, considering that their hormonal activity depends on the type of tissue in which they develop. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the use of tibolone on risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Methods. A prospective observational stady included 94 patients who had the concentration of l7ß estradiol < 50 pg/ml, and who was in menopause more than a year. Out of the total number of patients, 63 accepted to receive tibolone 2.5 mg daily (tibolone group), while 31 of the patients refused to take tibolone (control group). We measured the concentration of lipids (cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglicerides), antitrombin III, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein, before and after the treatment within a 6-month period. Then, we compared the difference between the values of concentrations and tested the statistical significance of the difference. We also evaluated the changes of values in the concentrations of the examinated parametars inside a 6-month period in the control group. Results. In 31 patients of the control group, from the control group there were no significant changes in the values of the defined parametars as compared to their initial values after six months. But there were changes of statistical significance (p < 0.001) in values of the concentrations of the exeminated parametars before and after the treatment in the tibolone group. In fact, we recorded decreases in the total cholesterol by 17.8%, HDL cholesterol by 27%, LDL cholesterol by 4% (without statistical significance p > 0.05) and triglicerids by 35%. There were no statistical differences in the concentrations of antitrombin III, fibrionogen, and C-reactive proteine in the tibolone group before and after the treatment. Conclusion. The use of tibolone dose decrease the concentration of the total cholesterol, triglicerides, HDL cholesterol, without a significant decrease of LDL cholesterol. Also, the use of tibolone does not have any significant effect on the concentrations of antitrombin III, fibrinogen and C-reactive proteine. The number of serum parameters measured in this study was limited, thus that was the reason to discuss only about the metabolism of lipids in the patients from the tibolone group. The final conclusion about the risk for cardiovascular diseases in the patients on tibolone, howerer, reqnires were extensive further clinical exeminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]