Influence of selenium supplementation on fatty acids profile and biological activity of four edible amaranth sprouts as new kind of functional food

Suitability assessment of amaranth sprouts as a new functional food was carried out. The optimisation of sprouting process and the influence of selenium supplementation, in doses 10, 15, and 30 mg/l of selenium as sodium selenite, on amaranth growth and fatty acid profile were examined. Methods such as FRAP, DPPH, polyphenols content and GPX activity were applied to characterize antioxidant poten- tial of seeds and sprouts of four different edible amaranth genera. E. coli, S. aureus, C. albicans were used to evaluate amaranth sprouts antimicrobial properties. Interaction be- tween amaranth sprouts and biological systems was assessed by analysing antibacterial and antifungal properties with a disc diffusion test. The studies proved amaranth sprouts to be potentially attractive as functional food. As confirmed by all the data amaranth sprouts are suitable as a moderate selenium accumulator and are rich in essential fatty acids, especially linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, which are precursors of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, it opens dietary opportunities for amaranth sprouts. They can also serve as a moderate source of antioxidant compounds. Nevertheless, the experiments revealed neither antibacterial, nor antifungal properties of sprouts. In general, amaranth sprouts biological activity under evaluation has failed to prove to be significantly impacted by selenium fertilization

N-3 fatty acids as resolvents of inflammation in the A549 cells

Background Fatty acids and their derivatives are one of the most crucial inflammation mediators. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of polyunsaturated fatty acids as eicosanoids precursors on the A549 cell line. Methods Cells were incubated with 40 μM of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic or docosahexaenoic acid for 24 h, then activated with LPS. Fatty acids content in the cell membranes were determined using gas chromatography. COX-2, cPGES and FP-receptor quantities were determined by Western blot. 8-Isoprostane F2α concentrations were determined by EIA. Maresin and protectin D1 contents were analyzed by UHPLC/MS-TOF method. Results Significant differences in membrane fatty acids and levels of 8-isoPGF2α in the activated cells were detected. Elevated expression of COX-2 and FP-receptor was observed in cells treated with AA and activated with LPS. Moreover, compared to AA and AA + LPS groups, cells incubated with EPA, DHA, EPA + LPS and DHA + LPS showed decreased expression of COX-2, cPGES and FP-receptor. In cells incubated with EPA or DHA and activated with LPS maresin and protectin D1 were detected. Conclusions The results of the study have revealed the pro-inflammatory properties of AA, while the EPA and DHA had the opposite, resolving effect. Interestingly, FP-receptor inhibition by EPA and DHA demonstrated the unique role of the FP-receptor as a potential target for antagonists, in the diseases of inflammatory character. This study provides new information about n-3 fatty acids and their pro-resolving mediators, which can be used in the process of developing new anti-inflammatory drugs

The New Hope Experiment: An Investigation and Conservation Plan for the Antonin and Noémi Raymond Farm

This thesis is the first investigation of the material fabric of the Raymond Farm Center for Living Arts and Design, a 1730s Quaker fieldstone farm house located in New Hope, PA that was synthesized with Japanese and Modernist elements by the architect/designer couple Antonin and Noémi Raymond in 1939. After nearly two decades of successful practice in Japan becoming some of the main proponents for modern architecture, the Raymonds returned to America in 1938 and purchased the 150-acre farm. In their renovations, they synthesized the Quaker architectural elements with cedar panels, sliding fusuma doors and shoji screens among other Japanese features. In this building the Raymonds took on apprentices and functioned as a design atelier in which the apprentices would tackle real-world design in the drafting room as well as assist with work on the farm, which was later titled “The New Hope Experiment”. It was here that the Raymonds first experimented with the combination of vernacular architecture and Japanese-inspired modernism. The initial investigation in this work was conducted with the goal of analyzing and understanding the site through a survey of the extant building fabric by utilizing archival sources, building archaeology, and conservation science to create a comprehensive building chronology and condition assessment with prioritized treatment recommendations. The recommendations presented are in line with modern conservation values as well as the non-profit organization’s mission to create a physical and mental environment that promotes creativity in the spirit of Antonin and Noémi Raymond

Susan Forward, Craig Buck, Toksyczni rodzice. Jak się uwolnić od bolesnej spuścizny i rozpocząć nowe życie?, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Czarna Owca 2011, s. 360.

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BRCA1 Recruitment to Transcriptional Pause Sites Is Required for R-Loop-Driven DNA Damage Repair

The mechanisms contributing to transcription-associated genomic instability are both complex and incompletely understood. Although R-loops are normal transcriptional intermediates, they are also associated with genomic instability. Here, we show that BRCA1 is recruited to R-loops that form normally over a subset of transcription termination regions. There it mediates the recruitment of a specific, physiological binding partner, senataxin (SETX). Disruption of this complex led to R-loop-driven DNA damage at those loci as reflected by adjacent γ-H2AX accumulation and ssDNA breaks within the untranscribed strand of relevant R-loop structures. Genome-wide analysis revealed widespread BRCA1 binding enrichment at R-loop-rich termination regions (TRs) of actively transcribed genes. Strikingly, within some of these genes in BRCA1 null breast tumors, there are specific insertion/deletion mutations located close to R-loop-mediated BRCA1 binding sites within TRs. Thus, BRCA1/SETX complexes support a DNA repair mechanism that addresses R-loop-based DNA damage at transcriptional pause sites

O bezpieczeństwie człowieka jako wartości.

The article concerns the security problem in the axiological context. The author presents the review of contemporary definition of this notion dedicating a lot of attention to security as the special and fundamental value in life of every human being. The attempt to present multidimensional character, essence and function of security in life of an individual or a community and particularly stressing the meaning of so called the world of human existence meaningful values in making is for such a perspective. The fact that the principle of reverence, the principle of reverence for every, not only human being; is closely connected to this fundamental value is highlighted there

Devices and procedures for measuring temperature characteristics

Diplomová práce je zaměřena na problematiku měření teplotních charakteristik fotovoltaických článků, modulů a bateriových systémů. V práci jsem navázal na projekt Aparatura pro měření teplotní závislosti temných charakteristik fotovoltaických článků, který vypracoval Bc. Ondřej Červený. Jeho částečně zkonstruované zařízení jsem opravil a zkompletoval pro praktické laboratorní využití.Diploma thesis is focused on the measurement of temperature characteristics of photovoltaic cells, modules and battery systems. In my work I followed the project Apparatus for measuring temperature dependence of dark characteristics of photovoltaic cells, which was elaborated by Bc. Ondřej Červený. I repaired and assembled his partially constructed equipment for practical laboratory use

Kuba Jałoszyński, Sławomir Zalewski, Organy administracji rządowej wobec zagrożeń terrorystycznych. Służby specjalne wobec terroryzmu, Bielsko-Biała: Wyższa Szkoła Administracji 2009, 198 s.

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