Assessment of type and quantities of food and beverage plastic packaging: A case study.

Plastic pollution has been identified as one of the most pressing environmental issues of the 21st century, driven by excessive consumption and inadequate plastic waste management. This issue is particularly reflected in short lifespan of plastic products, particularly plastic packaging within the food and beverage (F&B) industry. Urgent and relevant policy actions are needed to promote plastic circularity and improve waste management practices.

Neurotoxic effects of low dose ranges of environmental metal mixture in a rat model: The benchmark approach.

Metals exert detrimental effects on various systems within the body, including the nervous system. Nevertheless, the dose-response relationship concerning the administration of low doses of metal mixtures remains inadequately explored. The assessment of neurotoxic effects of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic mixture (MIX) administered at low dose ranges, was conducted using an in vivo approach.

Effects of α5 GABA receptor modulation on social interaction, memory, and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Aims: GABAergic modulation involved in cognitive processing appears to be substantially changed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In a widely used 5xFAD model of AD, we aimed to assess if negative and positive allosteric modulators of α5 GABA receptors (NAM and PAM, respectively) would affect social interaction, social, object and spatial memory, and neuroinflammation.

Methods: After 10-day treatment with PAM, NAM, or solvent, 6-month-old transgenic and non-transgenic 5xFAD mice underwent testing in a behavioral battery.

Comprehensive insight into the neurotoxic mechanisms of low dose Pb exposure in Wistar rats: Benchmark dose analysis.

Lead (Pb) is a toxic metal that affects almost all human's system and organs, with the nervous system as the most sensitive. Better understanding of the Pb neurobehavioral effects and neurotoxicity requires realistic study scenarios based on low level exposure. The aim of this study was to determine neurotoxic effects and mechanisms of Pb in six low doses and to establish dose-response relationship for these effects and related Benchmark dose (BMD).

Postweaning positive modulation of α5GABAA receptors improves autism-like features in prenatal valproate rat model in a sex-specific manner.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as a common neurodevelopmental disorder that encompasses impairments in social communication and interaction, as well as repetitive and restrictive behavior, still awaits an effective treatment strategy. The involvement of GABAergic neurotransmission, and especially a deficit of GABA receptors that contain the α5 subunits, were implicated in pathogenesis of ASD. Therefore, we tested MP-III-022, a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) selective for α5GABAA receptors, in Wistar rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid, as an animal model useful for studying ASD.

Positive and Negative Selective Allosteric Modulators of α5 GABAA Receptors: Effects on Emotionality, Motivation, and Motor Function in the 5xFAD Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Positive and negative allosteric modulators of α5 GABAA receptors (PAM and NAM, respectively) are worthy of investigation as putative treatments of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their potential to modify a dynamic range of behaviors in AD models needs to be systematically examined.

Objective: The study aimed to assess effects of MP-III-022 as PAM and PWZ-029 as NAM on emotional reactivity, motivation, and motor function, as well as on gene expression of GABRA2, GABRA3 and GABRA5 subunit of GABAA receptors in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC) in 5xFAD mice, as an early-onset transgenic AD model.

WEEE treatment and system management in Italy and Serbia: A comparison.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) represent one of the growing waste streams in Europe, whose content of hazardous substances and valuable materials focus on how it is handled. However, there are differences between countries regarding e-waste management system in Europe. This paper analyses and presents data regarding the e-waste management system in Italy, one of the founding countries of the EU and Serbia - EU candidate country.

Positive modulation of α5GABAA receptors leads to dichotomous effects in rats on memory pattern and GABRA5 expression in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α5GABA receptors (α5GABAARs) are emerging as potential therapeutics for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, their role in memory processing of healthy animals is not sufficiently examined. We tested the effects of MP-III-022 (1 mg/kg, 2.

Curcumin Loaded PEGylated Nanoemulsions Designed for Maintained Antioxidant Effects and Improved Bioavailability: A Pilot Study on Rats.

The current study describes the experimental design guided development of PEGylated nanoemulsions as parenteral delivery systems for curcumin, a powerful antioxidant, as well as the evaluation of their physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity during the two years of storage. Experimental design setup helped development of nanoemulsion templates with critical quality attributes in line with parenteral application route. Curcumin-loaded nanoemulsions showed mean droplet size about 105 nm, polydispersity index <0.

Synergy of oxytocin and citalopram in modulating Itgb3/Chl1 interplay: Relevance to sensitivity to SSRI therapy.

Intranasal treatment with oxytocin showed beneficial effects in post-traumatic stress disorder and autism spectrum disorders; however, it was not investigated as much in depression. Keeping in mind the favorable effects of oxytocin on animal models of anxiety and depression, we postulated that synergy between prescribed first choice drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and oxytocin could improve the treatment outcome compared with SSRI monotherapy. Our previous in vitro genome-wide transcriptomic study on human lymphoblastoid cell lines exposed to paroxetine resulted in increase of integrin β3 (ITGB3) gene expression, and further, ITGB3/CHL1 expression ratio was hypothesized to influence the sensitivity to SSRIs.

Determination of the composition and properties of PET bottles: Evidence of the empirical approach from Perm, Russia.

Efficient collection systems and information about the characteristics and quality of collected secondary plastic waste flows are of fundamental importance for the development of circular economies. In order to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of separate collection systems for plastic packaging, especially polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, characteristic of the collected PET bottles in street mesh containers were studied in the city of Perm, Russia. The share of extraneous fractions was assessed and differentiation was carried out by volume, type of product, label presence, shape, content of solid and liquid impurities and colour.

From inequitable to sustainable e-waste processing for reduction of impact on human health and the environment.

Recycling of electric and electronic waste products (e-waste) which amounted to more than 50 million metric tonnes per year worldwide is a massive and global operation. Unfortunately, an estimated 70-80% of this waste has not been properly managed because the waste went from developed to low-income countries to be dumped into landfills or informally recycled. Such recycling has been carried out either directly on landfill sites or in small, often family-run recycling shops without much regulations or oversights.

Evaluation and comparison of pre-treatment techniques for recovering indium from discarded liquid crystal displays.

Over the last years, emerging incentives for secondary production of high tech-metals, found in e-waste, are created because of their increasing demand and economic issues associated with their primary production. Due to the very low share of these metals in e-waste, pre-treatment methods can result in an output fraction rich in the metals of interest and may, therefore, be essential. To this scope, the present article evaluates and compares the efficiency of four different pre-treatment approaches containing various steps for recovering indium (In) from liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in laptop computers.

Combined use of biocompatible nanoemulsions and solid microneedles to improve transport of a model NSAID across the skin: In vitro and in vivo studies.

This study aimed to investigate the potential of lecithin-based nanoemulsions costabilized by sucrose esters, with and without skin pretreatment with stainless steel microneedles, to improve delivery of aceclofenac, as a model drug, into/across the skin. The characterization revealed favorable droplet size (about 180 nm), narrow size distribution (<0.15), high surface charge (about -40 mV) and satisfying long-term stability (one year at 4 ± 1 °C) of the formulation costabilized by sucrose palmitate, demonstrating a similar trend observed for the reference stabilized by widely used lecithin/polysorbate 80 combination.

Acth-induced model of depression resistant to tricyclic antidepressants: Neuroendocrine and behavioral changes and influence of long-term magnesium administration.

Magnesium (Mg), is not only a modulator of the glutamatergic NMDA receptors' affinity, it also prevents HPA axis hyperactivity, thus possibly being implicated in neurobiological features of mood disorders. Further uncovering of molecular mechanisms underlying magnesium's proposed effects is needed due to the recent shift in research of treatment resistant depression (TRD) towards glutamatergic pathways. Here, we applied Mg via drinking water for 28 days (50 mg/kg/day), in ACTH-treated rats, an established animal model of depression resistant to tricyclic antidepressants.

A single dose of magnesium, as well as chronic administration, enhances long-term memory in novel object recognition test, in healthy and ACTH-treated rats.

Although a magnesium-mediated attenuation of memory deficits was reported in animal models of ageing and traumatic brain injury, a possible memory enhancement in healthy subjects has not been investigated yet. We used novel object recognition test (NORT) to examine the effects of acute (30 mg/kg) and chronic (50 mg/kg, 28 days) Mg-sulfate treatment on the long-term memory (LTM) in healthy adult male rats, and to test the sustainability of magnesium effects in the models of acute and chronic (21 days) ACTH administration (10 μg/animal), mimicking the stress- and depression-like conditions. A single dose of Mg-sulfate enhanced the LTM retrieval in the 24 h inter-trial NORT protocol, in healthy, as well as in rats acutely treated with ACTH.

Attaining in vivo selectivity of positive modulation of α3βγ2 GABA receptors in rats: A hard task!

It is unclear whether GABA receptors (GABARs) that contain the α3-subunit are substantially involved in the anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines (BDZs). In the present study, we tested YT-III-31, a newer BDZ ligand with functional preference for α3βγ2 GABARs, in two paradigms of unconditioned anxiety, the open field and elevated plus maze in rats. The effective dose of YT-III-31 (2 mg/kg) displayed a clear anxiolytic-like profile, unhampered by sedative action, in both tests.

Positive modulation of α5 GABA receptors in preadolescence prevents reduced locomotor response to amphetamine in adult female but not male rats prenatally exposed to lipopolysaccharide.

We previously demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to pregnant Wistar rat dams, at embryonic days 15 and 16 (E15/16), induced a decrease of baseline locomotor activity and diminished reactivity to amphetamine in adult female offspring.

Financial implications of compliance with EU waste management goals: Feasibility and consequences in a transition country.

This paper outlines the approach that can assist decision makers to have first preliminary insights regarding costs of complying with requested European Union municipal waste management goals in transition and developing countries. Serbia, as a joining member of European Union, must confront itself with the challenges resulting from European Union waste management directives. Implementation of waste separation units and the construction of sanitary landfills is already in place in Serbia.

Magnesium Supplementation Diminishes Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte DNA Oxidative Damage in Athletes and Sedentary Young Man.

Sedentary lifestyle is highly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. It is known that regular physical activity has positive effects on health; however several studies have shown that acute and strenuous exercise can induce oxidative stress and lead to DNA damage. As magnesium is essential in maintaining DNA integrity, the aim of this study was to determine whether four-week-long magnesium supplementation in students with sedentary lifestyle and rugby players could prevent or diminish impairment of DNA.

Lipopolysaccharide exposure during late embryogenesis results in diminished locomotor activity and amphetamine response in females and spatial cognition impairment in males in adult, but not adolescent rat offspring.

Numerous basic and epidemiological studies have connected prenatal maternal immune activation with the occurrence of schizophrenia and/or autism. Depending on subtle differences in protocols of the used animal model, a variety of behavioral abnormalities has been reported. This study investigated behavioral differences in Wistar rat offspring of both genders, exposed to the 100 μg/kg per day dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in late embryogenesis (embryonic days 15 and 16), while tested at their adolescent and young adult age (postnatal days 40 and 60, respectively).

Biocompatible microemulsions of a model NSAID for skin delivery: A decisive role of surfactants in skin penetration/irritation profiles and pharmacokinetic performance.

To elaborate the decisive role of surfactants in promotion of aceclofenac' skin absorption, potentially avoiding irritation, we developed non-ionic microemulsions varying natural or synthetic surfactants: sucrose esters (laurate or myristate) vs. polysorbate 80. A comprehensive physicochemical characterization indicated no significant influence of the solubilized nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug on the bicontinuous structure of blank formulations.

Application of MFA as a decision support tool for waste management in small municipalities--case study of Serbia.

In this paper, attention is shifted from larger cities and regions to the important role of small municipalities in large-scale capacity waste management systems. The motivation of this analysis is to understand how small municipalities can be prepared for future inclusion in regional waste management. For the first time, solutions that include integrated treatment of municipal, agricultural, and industrial waste generated by small-scale municipalities are developed and assessed.

Duration of treatment and activation of α1-containing GABAA receptors variably affect the level of anxiety and seizure susceptibility after diazepam withdrawal in rats.

Long-term use of benzodiazepine-type drugs may lead to physical dependence, manifested by withdrawal syndrome after abrupt cessation of treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of duration of treatment, as well as the role of α1-containing GABAA receptors, in development of physical dependence to diazepam, assessed through the level of anxiety and susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures, 24h after withdrawal from protracted treatment in rats. Withdrawal of 2mg/kg diazepam after 28, but not after 14 or 21 days of administration led to an anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze.