THE LASER TOMOGRAPHICAL METHOD USINGMINIMUM OF PROJECTION FOR BIOLOGICAL OBJECT STRUCTURE STUDY

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Probabilistic kinetic model of slow oxidation of low-density lipoprotein: II. Experiments

Theoretical probabilistic kinetic model has been applied to describe the measurements of several oxidation markers as a function of time, during slow oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). It has been demonstrated that such a process could be described as tocopherol-mediated peroxidation (TMP), initiated and sustained by the action of copper ions, present in LDL in trace amounts. In that process concentration of alpha-tocopherol remains essentially unaltered. Tocopherol and copper ions act as catalysts, oscillating between the oxidized and reduced states. The fitting of the theoretical model to the experimental data resulted in determination of the numerical values for the kinetic parameters. It has been found that the parameter values used for the fitting of the data collected for a number of samples from various donors differ rather little. The kinetic chain length of 1.3 (in presence of co-antioxidants) and 2.9 (in the absence of co-antioxidants) is shorter than found by others. The difference probably comes from the much lower concentration of copper ions in our systems (about 0.1 ion per LDL particle).     

Proton pumping mechanism and catalytic cycle of cytochrome c oxidase: Coulomb pump model with kinetic gating

Using electrostatic calculations, we have examined the dependence of the protonation state of cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart on its redox state. Based on these calculations, we propose a possible scheme of redox-linked proton pumping. The scheme involves His291 - one of the ligands of the Cu(B) redox center - which plays the role of the proton loading site (PLS) of the pump. The mechanism of pumping is based on ET reaction between two hemes of the enzyme, which is coupled to a transfer of two protons. Upon ET, the first proton (fast reaction) is transferred to the PLS (His291), while subsequent transfer of the second "chemical" proton to the binuclear center (slow reaction) is accompanied by the ejection of the first (pumped) proton. Within the proposed model, we discuss the catalytic cycle of the enzyme.     

Family of hemorphins: co-relations between amino acid sequences and effects in cell cultures

Hemorphins, i.e. endogenous fragments of beta-globin chain segment (32-41) LVVYPWTQRY(F) suppress the growth of transformed murine fibroblasts L929 cell culture, the effect is due to cytotoxicity and inhibition of cell proliferation. The contribution of cytotoxicity depends on the presence of Leu(32): VV-hemorphins, except VV-hemorphin-4, exhibit cytotoxicity significantly higher than respective LVV-hemorphins. Decrease of cell number induced by hemorphins depend on the extent of N- and C-terminal degradation of hemorphins: VV-hemorphins in most cases are more active than LVV-, V-hemorphins, and hemorphins. In the group of VV-hemorphins the activity of VV-hemorphin-5 (valorphin) is significantly higher than of VV-hemorphin-7, VV-hemorphin-6, and VV-hemorphin-4, meaning that the presence of C-terminal Gln is important for suppressing of cell number. The amino acid sequence VVYPWTQ corresponding to valorphin was identified as important for manifestation of the both cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects.     

Homologous recombination and RecA protein: towards a new generation of tools for genome manipulations

Homologous recombination (HR) is one of the central processes of DNA metabolism, combining roles in both cell housekeeping and the evolution of genomes. In eukaryotes, HR underlies meiosis and ensures genome stability. The complete sequencing of numerous bacterial genomes has shown that HR has a substantial role in the evolution of microorganisms, especially pathogens. HR systems from different species and their isolated components are finding an expanding field of applications in modern genetic engineering and bio- and nanotechnologies. Recently, much progress has been made in our understanding of HR mechanisms in eukaryotes and the practical applications of HR systems.     

Present state and possibilities for improvement of cancer prevention and early detection in the Osijek-Baranya county

Cancer morbidity and mortality are on a steady increase in Croatia. Technologic possibilities for appropriate management are available for four cancer sites, i.e. cancer of the breast, cervix uteri, colorectum and prostate, and include cancer prevention and early detection in individuals yet free from manifest signs of the disease. The magnitude of the problem, the experience acquired to date, health care personnel available, and additional resources required to launch a systematic program of early detection of the disease are presented. The program should be initially launched in a county with greatest experience in early detection of cancer, where health care service is ready to immediately start its implementation. The role of family physician, gynecologic service at primary health care level, and polyclinic-consultation hospital service in program implementation is described. The following three possible options for early detection of cancer are analyzed and proposed: minimal program (early detection every 3 years), medium program (the same individuals examined every 2 years), and optimal program proposed by the American Cancer Society and other national and international organizations.     

Measurement of magnetic field in dentistry

The principal objective was to measure the magnetic fields occurring in dental surgeries at simultaneous subtraction of direct ground component of the magnetic field. A specifically designed instrument with the Hall probe was used for the measurement. It consisted of two amplifiers and a low frequency filter. Its task was to measure mean square values of the field (RMS) dependent on the position in space. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the investigated variables enabled making conclusions about the magnetic fields in dental surgeries. A number of studies have shown that many dental instruments produce radiation with magnetic field higher than 40 G, at a significant decrease in power of the magnetic field with increasing distance from the source. It has also been reported that instruments of older generations produce stronger magnetic fields than do the new ones.     

The impact of age, sex, body mass index and menstrual cycle phase on gastric myoelectrical activity characteristics in a healthy Croatian population

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of demographic and anthropometric parameters on the gastric myoelectrical activity characteristics in a healthy Croatian population. The influence of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and menstrual cycle phase on the gastric myoelectrical activity characteristics was assessed. The study included 120 healthy subjects of both sexes (60 male and 60 female), divided into four age groups (18-35, 36-50, 51-65 and > 65 years) and three BMI groups (BMI < 25, 25-30 and > 30). Female subjects of reproductive age were divided into three groups according to menstrual cycle phase (day 1-3, day 4-8 and day 9-20 of menstruation). All study subjects underwent percutaneous electrogastrography (EGG) for 60 min before and 60 min after a test meal. The following parameters of the gastric myoelectrical activity were observed: dominant frequency (DF); dominant frequency within normal range (DFNR, %); coefficient of variation for dominant frequency (CVDF); dominant strength (DS. mV); postprandial increase intensity in dominant strength (PPIIDS, %); bradygastria (BG, c/min, %); tachygastria (TG, c/min, %); and arrhythmia (AR). Age was found to influence preprandial but not postprandial DFNR, CVDF and AR. Sex influenced preprandial DF, CVDF, DS and BG, and postprandial DF, CVDF, PPIIDS and TG. BMI exerted an impact on preprandial TG and AR, and postprandial DF, CVDF and AR. The phase of menstrual cycle influenced DF in preprandial period and none of EGG parameters in postprandial period.