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The need to increase the productivity and capacity of power transformers has conditioned the production of insulating papers of a higher thermal class. For this purpose, various techniques of solid insulation modification were applied, which enable the increase in thermal and chemical stability of the insulating paper during the operation of the transformer. The applied additives, primarily dicyandiamide (DICY) and polyacrylamide (PAM), are one form of cellulose modification in the final stages of paper production. A significant difference between the papers is the nitrogen content in the paper, which is characterized by the addition of amine compounds (additives). The paper presents the application of infrared spectroscopy with totally attenuated reflection (FTIR-ATR) in the characterization of paper samples. The aim is to observe the difference between regularly kraft and thermally upgraded paper reflected in the presence or absence of characteristic functional groups for additives. The strip identification at 2194-2154 cm-1 confirmed the presence of dicyandiamide additives (DICY) in the spectrum of the sample of thermally upgraded paper, which is different compared with the spectrum of regular kraft paper.

Marina Bekić,1 Miloš Vasiljević,2 Dušica Stojanović,3 Vanja Kokol,4 Dušan Mihajlović,2 Dragana Vučević,2 Petar Uskoković,3 Miodrag Čolić,1,2,5 Sergej Tomić1 1Department for Immunology and Immunoparasitology, Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 2Center for Biomedical Sciences, Medical Faculty Foča, University of East Sarajevo, Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 3Department for Construction and Special Materials, Faculty for Technology and Metallurgy, University in Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 4Department of Textile Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia; 5Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, SerbiaCorrespondence: Sergej Tomić, Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy, University of Belgrade, Banatska 31b, Belgrade, Zemun, 11080, Serbia, Tel +381 11 2610 126, Fax +381 11 2618 724, Email sergej.tomic@inep.co.rsPurpose: Phosphonates, like 3-AminoPropylphosphonic Acid (ApA), possess a great potential for the therapy of bone tumours, and their delivery via cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) seems a promising approach for their increased efficacy in target tissues. However, the immunological effects of CNC-phosphonates have not been investigated thoroughly. The main aim was to examine how the modification of CNCs with phosphonate affects their immunomodulatory properties in human cells.Methods: Wood-based native (n) CNCs were modified via oxidation (ox-CNCs) and subsequent conjugation with ApA (ApA-CNCs). CNCs were characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation. Cytotoxicity and immunomodulatory potential of CNCs were investigated in cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs)/T cells co-cultures by monitoring phenotype, cytokines production, allostimulatory and Th/Treg polarisation capacity.Results: AFM showed an increase in CNCs’ thickens, elasticity modulus and hardness during the modification with ApA. When applied at non-toxic doses, nCNCs showed a tolerogenic potential upon internalisation by MoDCs, as judged by their increased capacity to up-regulate tolerogenic markers and induce regulatory T cells (Treg), especially when present during the differentiation of MoDCs. In contrast, ox- and ApA-CNCs induced oxidative stress and autophagy in MoDCs, which correlated with their stimulatory effect on the maturation of MoDCs, but also inhibition of MoDCs differentiation. ApA-CNC-treated MoDCs displayed the highest allostimulatory and Th1/CTL polarising activity in co-cultures with T cells. These effects of ApA-CNCs were mediated via GABA-B receptor-induced lowering of cAMP levels in MoDCs, and they could be blocked by GABA-B receptor inhibitor. Moreover, the Th1 polarising and allostimulatory capacity of MoDCs differentiated with ApA-CNC were largely preserved upon the maturation of MoDCs, whereas nCNC- and ox-CNC-differentiated MoDCs displayed an increased tolerogenic potential.Conclusion: The delivery of ApA via CNCs induces potent DC-mediated Th1 polarisation, which could be beneficial in their potential application in tumour therapy.Keywords: cellulose nanocrystals, phosphonates, dendritic cells, immunomodulation, GABA-B receptor

Water samples were collected near the thermal power plant and coal mine (Gacko, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and analyzed to measure the concentration of 33 parameters (pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, alkalinity as CaCO3, total hardness as CaCO3, total solids, total suspended matter, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand with permanganate, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, P, PAH, PCBs, phenolic index, mineral oils, detergents, content of As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn and Pb, sulfates, chlorides, fluorides, aerobic organotrophs, total coliforms, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci). Determined average mean pH values and EC are within the reference values for class I surface water quality. The surface water in the study area is alkaline, with a mean pH value of 8.01. Depending on the location, other analyzed parameters correspond from I to V water quality classes. The ERI for As, Cd, Cr and Pb is low and for Mn is appreciable. The RI of the surface water in location 1 and 2 were moderate. In other locations, risk coefficients are low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an octenidine (OCT)-based antiseptic on the gingival inflammation and microbial composition of subgingival dental plaque in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three orthodontic patients were randomized into 2 groups. The control group patients were given standard oral hygiene and dietary advice, while the experimental group patients used an OCT-based antiseptic together with standard oral hygiene and dietary recommendations. The periodontal status was evaluated using the following indices: the plaque index (PI), the gingival index (GI), the papilla bleeding index (PBI) and the probing pocket depth (PD). Next Generation Sequencing of the 16S rRNA amplicons was performed in order to assess the subgingival microbiome. RESULTS: The PD values obtained were significantly lower in the experimental group after one month, as well as PBI. The microbiological analysis showed a significant increase in the occurrence of the genus Prevotella in the control group, while the number of other periodontopathogens remained stable in both groups. The changes in the abundance of the bacteria not directly associated with periodontal disease were also observed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an OCT-based antiseptic has a positive effect on the prevention of gingival inflammation. Additionally, it also prevents a likely increase in numbers of periodontopathogens of the subgingival dental plaque in the first three months of fixed orthodontic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a universal model of weighted coordinate transformation, i.e. transformation considering the errors of coordinates in both coordinate systems. It is intrinsically one of the typical examples of ‘error-in-variables’ (EIV) models. The proposed method of LS theory application on weighted coordinate transformation does not impose any constraints on the form of functional relationship among stochastic variables. Since the basic idea is to generalise Gauss–Markov model (GMM) by introduction of so-called ‘total residuals’, the proposed procedure is named ‘Generalised Gauss–Markov model’. Formulation of expressions for estimation of unknown transformation parameters is theoretically confirmed using the Gauss–Helmert model (GHM) and three different modifications of the GMM. The proposed procedure is in its essence a strict solution to total least-squares (unweighted) and weighted total least-squares problem in coordinate transformation. This thesis is experimentally confirmed by comparison of its results with those found in four characteristic examples from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High resolution (10 m and 20 m) optical imagery satellite Sentinel-2 brings a new perspective to Earth observation. Its frequent revisit time enables monitoring the Earth surface with high reliability. Since Sentinel-2 data is provided free of charge by the European Space Agency, its mass use for variety of purposes is expected. Quality evaluation of Sentinel-2 data is thus necessary. Quality analysis in this experiment is based on comparison of Sentinel-2 imagery with reference data (orthophoto). From the possible set of features to compare (point features, texture lines, objects, etc.) line segments were chosen because visual analysis suggested that scale differences matter least for these features. The experiment was thus designed to compare long line segments (e.g. airstrips, roads, etc.) in both datasets as the most representative entities. Edge detection was applied to both images and corresponding edges were manually selected. The statistical parameter which describes the geometrical relation between different images (and between datasets in general) covering the same area is calculated as the distance between corresponding curves in two datasets. The experiment was conducted for two different test sites, Austria and Serbia. From 21 lines with a total length of ca. 120 km the average offset of 6.031 m (0.60 pixel of Sentinel-2) was obtained for Austria, whereas for Serbia the average offset of 12.720 m (1.27 pixel of Sentinel-2) was obtained out of 10 lines with a total length of ca. 38 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High resolution (10 m and 20 m) optical imagery satellite Sentinel-2 brings a new perspective to Earth observation. Its frequent revisit time enables monitoring the Earth surface with high reliability. Since Sentinel-2 data is provided free of charge by the European Space Agency, its mass use for variety of purposes is expected. Quality evaluation of Sentinel-2 data is thus necessary. Quality analysis in this experiment is based on comparison of Sentinel-2 imagery with reference data (orthophoto). From the possible set of features to compare (point features, texture lines, objects, etc.) line segments were chosen because visual analysis suggested that scale differences matter least for these features. The experiment was thus designed to compare long line segments (e.g. airstrips, roads, etc.) in both dataseis as the most representative entities. Edge detection was applied to both images and corresponding edges were manually selected. The statistical parameter which describes the geometrical relation between different images (and between dataseis in general) covering the same area is calculated as the distance between corresponding curves in two dataseis. The experiment was conducted for two different test sites, Austria and Serbia. From 21 lines with a total length of ca. 120 km the average offset of 6.031 m (0.60 pixel of Sentinel-2) was obtained for Austria, whereas for Serbia the average offset of 12.720 m (1.27 pixel of Sentinel-2) was obtained out of 10 lines with a total length of ca. 38 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to encapsulate cold-pressed horseradish leaf juice within maltodextrin/alginate (MD/AL), maltodextrin/guar gum (MD/GG), and maltodextrin/gum Arabic (MD/GA) by spray-drying, to characterize the encapsulates, and to test their potential as mayonnaise oxidation-preventing ingredients. The encapsulates exhibited desirable physicochemical, morphological, structural, and thermal properties, highlighting MD/GA-containing encapsulates, especially regarding high encapsulation yield (78.50 %). Also, encapsulates contained a significant amount of phenolics, which were stable during freezer storage. The encapsulates successfully delayed the mayonnaise oxidation: 31.91-38.94 % more than the synthetic antioxidant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, especially highlighting MD/AL-containing encapsulates. Also, the encapsulates improved product quality with a higher pH and lower acidity after storage compared to the controls. Overall acceptability of encapsulates-containing mayonnaises and commercial mayonnaise did not differ significantly. This study contributes to sustainable development by providing new insights into the valorization of horseradish leaves, as a promising alternative to synthetic additives to prolong the oxidative stability and shelf-life of high-oil-containing foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Patients suffering from cholelithiasis have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications, particularly ischemic myocardial disease. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), already used in clinical practice for the treatment of cholelithiasis and related conditions, has proven antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect of UDCA pre-treatment on isoprenaline-induced myocardial injury in rats. Male Wistar albino rats were randomized into four groups. Animals were pre-treated for 10 days with propylene glycol + saline on days 9 and 10 (control), 10 days with propylene glycol + isoprenaline on days 9 and 10 (I group), 10 days with UDCA + saline on days 9 and 10 (UDCA group), and 10 days with UDCA + isoprenaline on days 9 and 10 (UDCA + I group). UDCA pre-treatment significantly reduced values of high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) cardiac markers ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). The value of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was also decreased in the UDCA + I group compared to the I group ( p < 0.001). UDCA also significantly increased glutathione (GSH) levels, while showing a tendency to increase levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The level of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) expression, a key regulatory gene of inflammation, was diminished when UDCA was administered. A reduction of cardiac damage was also observed in the UDCA pre-treated group. In conclusion, UDCA pre-treatment showed a cardioprotective effect on isoprenaline-induced myocardial injury in rats, primarily by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Sitagliptin, an anti-diabetic drug, is a dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4/CD26 inhibitor with additional anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. In this study, we investigated for the first time the effect of sitagliptin on the differentiation and functions of human dendritic cells generated from monocytes (MoDCs) for 4 days using the standard GM-CSF/IL-4 procedure. LPS/IFN-γ treatment for an additional 24 h was used for maturation induction of MoDCs. Sitagliptin was added at the highest non-cytotoxic concentration (500 µg/mL) either at the beginning (sita 0d protocol) or after MoDC differentiation (sita 4d protocol). Sitagliptin impaired differentiation and maturation of MoDCs as judged with the lower expression of CD40, CD83, CD86, NLRP3, and HLA-DR, retention of CD14 expression, and inhibited production of IL-β, IL-12p70, IL-23, and IL-27. In contrast, the expression of CD26, tolerogenic DC markers (ILT4 and IDO1), and production of immunoregulatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β) were increased. Generally, the sita 0d protocol was more efficient. Sitagliptin-treated MoDCs were poorer allostimulators of T-cells in MoDC/T-cell co-culture and inhibited Th1 and Th17 but augmented Th2 and Treg responses. Tolerogenic properties of sitagliptin-treated MoDCs were additionally confirmed by an increased frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127- FoxP3+ Tregs and Tr1 cells (CD4+IL-10+FoxP3-) in MoDC/T-cell co-culture. The differentiation of IL-10+ and TGF-β+ Tregs depended on the sitagliptin protocol used. A Western blot analysis showed that sitagliptin inhibited p65 expression of NF-kB and p38MAPK during the maturation of MoDCs. In conclusion, sitagliptin induces differentiation of tolerogenic DCs, and the effect is important when considering sitagliptin for treating autoimmune diseases and allotransplant rejection.

Aim Compare the efficacy of nebulized hypertonic saline and normal saline in the treatment of infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Pulmonology, Paediatric Clinic, Clinical Centre University of Sarajevo, covering the period from January 2015 to December 2019 and comprising 380 children aged between 1 and 12 months having bronchiolitis. One group received nebulized hypertonic saline (NHS, 3% NaCl)), and another group received nebulized normal saline (NNS, 0.9% NaCl). The control group did not receive any of these treatment options. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment groups regarding length of hospital stay (LOS) and Clinical Severity Score (CSS) at admission and discharge as well as in oxygen therapy duration and antibiotic use, the duration of symptoms before hospital admission, frequency of nasal discharge, elevated temperature, dyspnoea, cough and dehydration. Conclusion The results of this study are consistent with several recent studies or meta-analyses and support the evidence against the use of NHS in hospitalized infants with mild or moderate bronchiolitis., (Copyright© by the Medical Assotiation of Zenica-Doboj Canton.)

Dysfunction of neutrophils in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is best characterized in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), whereas peripheral blood neutrophils are less examined, and the results are contradictory, especially in younger populations. Therefore, this work aimed to study functional and phenotypic changes in circulating neutrophils in children with CF. The study included 19 CF children (5-17 years) and 14 corresponding age-matched healthy children. Isolated neutrophils were cultured either alone or with different stimuli. Several functions were studied: apoptosis, NET-osis, phagocytosis, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), neutrophil elastase (NE), and 11 cytokines. In addition, the expression of 20 molecules involved in different functions of neutrophils was evaluated by using flow cytometry. CF neutrophils showed reduced apoptosis and lower production of NE and IL-18 compared to the healthy controls, whereas IL-8 was augmented. All of these functions were further potentiated after neutrophil stimulation, which included higher ROS production and the up-regulation of CD11b and IL-10 expression. NET-osis was higher only when neutrophils from moderate-severe CF were treated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the process correlated with forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1). Phagocytosis was not significantly changed. In conclusion, circulating neutrophils from children with CF showed fewer impaired changes in phenotype than in function. Functional abnormalities, which were already present at the baseline levels in neutrophils, depended on the type of stimuli that mimicked different activation states of these cells at the site of infection.

Objectives: Our aim was construction and development of a new questionnaire for assessing the quality and diversity of nutrition of pregnant women., Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The novel questionnaire was developed through eight steps according with internationally accepted guidelines for questionnaire development. The questionnaire with 18 questions and answers according to the Likert's scale was created and called Balkan Food Quality and Diversity in Pregnancy Questionnaire-18 (BFQDPQ-18). Reliability testing and factor analysis of BFQDPQ-18 were carried out on a sample of 382 women in the third trimester of pregnancy whose pregnancy control and monitoring were performed at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Clinical Center in Kragujevac, Serbia., Results: The first test of reliability indicated high levels of internal consistency, with the Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 of the BFQDPQ-18. After dividing the BFQDPQ-18 into two parts of nine questions each by split-half method, the Cronbach's alphas were 0.799 and 0.716. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) was 0.878, and the Bartlett's test of sphericity: 1,892.206, p < 0.000. Factor analysis revealed four factors explained in total 51.99% of the variance: mean meal and snack, foods with a low degree of industrial processing, subjective assessment of dietary quality and starchy foods., Conclusions: The final version of the BFQDPQ-18 showed high reliability and good psychometric properties, so we believe it could be useful instrument for assessing the quality of nutrition of pregnant women.

Background: Our recent study has shown that pomegranate peel extract (PEx) showed significant immunomodulatory activity, which might be caused by ellagitannins. The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that ellagitannin components act synergistically in the modulation of cytokine production., Methods: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and treated with different concentrations of PEx or punicalagin (PG), punicalin (PN), and ellagic acid (EA), alone or with their combinations. Cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, and cytokine production were determined., Results: Non-cytotoxic concentrations of all compounds significantly inhibited cell proliferation. IC50 values (μg/mL) were: EA (7.56), PG (38.52), PEx (49.05), and PN (69.95). PEx and all ellagitannins inhibited the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8, dose-dependently, and their combinations acted synergistically. PEx and all ellagitannins inhibited Th1 and Th17 responses, whereas the lower concentrations of PEx stimulated the production of IL-10, a Treg cytokine, as did lower concentrations of EA. However, neither component of ellagitannins increased Th2 response, as was observed with PEx., Conclusions: The combination of PG, PN, and EA potentiated the anti-inflammatory response without any significant synergistic down-modulatory effect on T-cell cytokines. The increased production of IL-10 observed with PEx could be attributable to EA, but the examined ellagitannins are not associated with the stimulatory effect of PEx on Th2 response.

Aim: Even though IL-6 is a key inflammatory cytokine in periapical lesions (PLs), its function in stable periapical disease is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the following: first, the ex vivo production of IL-6 by clinically different PLs; next, subsets of immune cells expressing IL-6 in PLs according to their inflammatory status and finally, modulatory effect of IL-6 on T-cell cytokine production in cell cultures., Methodology: Inflammatory cells were isolated from a total of 95 human PLs. Detection of IL-6 + cells within the myeloid and lymphoid populations was performed by multicolour flow cytometry. ELISA and FlowCytomix Microbeads Assay were used to measure cytokine levels in culture supernatants. To study the role of IL-6 in PLs, mononuclear cells (MNC) from symptomatic (Sy) or asymptomatic (Asy) PLs were treated with IL-6 or Tocilizumab, an IL-6R blocking antibody. The differences between groups were tested by unpaired t-test, Mann-Whitney or Friedman tests., Results: The levels of IL-6 in PL MNC culture supernatants were significantly higher compared with total PL cells and PL granulocytes (p < .001). MNC from Sy PLs produced significantly higher levels of IL-6 than MNC from Asy PLs (p < .001). Flow cytometry analysis showed that NKT cells, CD8 + T cells and M2 macrophages (MØ), were dominant IL-6 + cells, in contrast to CD4 + T cells. However, CD8 + and CD4 + T cells contributed the most to IL-6 production. IL-6 hi producing MNC cultures had higher levels of Th1 (IFN-γ), Th17 (IL-17A), Tfh (IL-21) and RANKL, whereas Th2 (IL-4) and Tregs cytokines (IL-10, TGF-β) were lower compared with IL-6 low -producing cultures. Exogenous IL-6 stimulated 17A, IL-21 and RANKL, independently of PL activation status, but decreased IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-33 levels in IL-6 hi -producing cultures. Tocilizumab increased IL-10 and TGF-β in IL-6 low -producing cultures. All differences were p < .05., Conclusions: Most immune cells from Sy PLs expressed higher levels of IL-6 compared with Asy PLs, which correlated with IL-6 production in culture. Analysis of cytokines suggested a dominant pro-inflammatory T-cell response and osteodestructive function of IL-6 in PLs judging by Th17/Tfh cell activation, Tregs inhibition and increased RANKL/OPG ratio. Excessive IL-6 production decreased Th1/Th2 responses., (© 2022 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Heavy metals, due to their inability to degrade, pose a serious environmental and nutritional problem. The accumulation of essential and non-essential heavy metals in living organisms reduces normal growth and development, resulting in acute poisoning, disease and even death of organisms. Melatonin is a very important multifunctional molecule in protecting plants from oxidative stress due to its ability to directly neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS). Also, melatonin has a chelating property, which may contribute in reducing metal-induced toxicity. In this paper, the protective role of melatonin in counteracting metal-induced free radical generation was highlighted. Using the HPLC-FLD technique melatonin was identified and quantified in the roots and leaves of lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis L.), grown under photoperiod conditions. Furthermore, the response of plants pre-treated with exogenous 0.1 mM melatonin to the increased zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations was observed, with changes in mineral (Ca, Mg), physiological and antioxidant status of the plant during heavy metals stress. The obtained melatonin concentrations were the highest published for dry plants so far. Elevated Cd and Zn levels in soil caused alternation in biochemical and physiological parameters of lemon balm leaves and roots. However, melatonin pre-treatment increased plant tolerance to heavy metals stress. Increased Cd and Zn uptake and their translocation into the leaves were also improved, indicating the possible use of melatonin in phytoremediation., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST: none declared, (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s).)

Although promising for active immunization in cancer patients, dendritic cells (DCs) vaccines generated in vitro display high inter-individual variability in their immunogenicity, which mostly limits their therapeutic efficacy. Gut microbiota composition is a key emerging factor affecting individuals' immune responses, but it is unknown how it affects the variability of donors' precursor cells to differentiate into immunogenic DCs in vitro . By analyzing gut microbiota composition in 14 healthy donors, along with the phenotype and cytokines production by monocyte-derived DCs, we found significant correlations between immunogenic properties of DC and microbiota composition. Namely, donors who had higher α-diversity of gut microbiota and higher abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) and SCFA-producing bacteria in feces, displayed lower expression of CD1a on immature (im)DC and higher expression of ILT-3, costimulatory molecules (CD86, CD40) proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8) and IL-12p70/IL-10 ratio, all of which correlated with their lower maturation potential and immunogenicity upon stimulation with LPS/IFNγ, a well-known Th1 polarizing cocktail. In contrast, imDCs generated from donors with lower α-diversity and higher abundance of Bifidobacterium and Collinsella in feces displayed higher CD1a expression and higher potential to up-regulate CD86 and CD40, increase TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 production, and IL-12p70/IL-10 ratio upon stimulation. These results emphasize the important role of gut microbiota on the capacity of donor precursor cells to differentiate into immunogenic DCs suitable for cancer therapy, which could be harnessed for improving the actual and future DC-based cancer therapies.

Laser ablation in liquid (LAL) emerged as a versatile technique for the synthesis of nanoparticles with various structures and compositions, although the control over products remains challenging in most cases. For instance, it is still difficult to drive the size of metal oxide crystalline domains down to the level of few atom clusters with LAL. Here we demonstrate that laser ablation of a bulk iron target in aqueous solution of phosphonates gives phosphonate-grafted iron oxo-clusters polymerized into nanoaggregates with Fe:ligand ratio of 2:1, instead of the usual nanocrystalline iron oxides. We attribute this result to the strong ability of phosphonate groups to bind iron oxide clusters and prevent their further growth into crystalline iron oxide. These laser generated poly-oxo-clusters are biocompatible and trackable by magnetic resonance imaging, providing interesting features for use in biological environments, such as nano-vehicles for iron administration. Besides, this method is promising for the generation of atom-scale metal-oxide clusters, which are ubiquitary in chemistry and of interest in biochemistry, catalysis, molecular magnetism and materials science., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Goal of Study: After laparoscopic cholecystectomy, patients have moderate pain in the early postoperative period. Some studies shown beneficial effects of subcostal transversus abdominis plane block on reducing this pain. Our goal was to investigate influence of subcostal transversus abdominis plane block on postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption., Materials and Methods: We have randomized 76 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy to receive either subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (n=38) or standard postoperative analgesia (n=38). First group received bilateral ultrasound guided subcostal transversus abdominis plane block with 20mL of 0.33% bupivacaine per side before operation and tramadol 1mg.kg -1 IV for pain breakthrough (≥6). Second group received after operation tramadol 1mg.kg -1 /6h as standard hospital analgesia protocol. Both groups received acetaminophen 1g/8h IV and metamizole 2.5g/12h. Pain at rest was recorded for each patient using NR scale (0-10) in period of 10min, 30min, 2h, 4h, 8h, 12h and 16h after the surgery., Results and Discussion: We obtained no difference between groups according age, weight, intraoperative fentanyl consumption and duration of surgery. Subcostal transversus abdominis plane block significantly reduced postoperative pain scores compared to standard analgesia in all periods after surgery. Tramadol consumption was significantly lower in the subcostal transversus abdominis plane (24.29±47.54g) than in the standard analgesia group (270.2±81.9g) (p=0.000)., Conclusion: Our results show that subcostal transversus abdominis plane block can provide superior postoperative analgesia and reduction in opioid requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy., (Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)