Antioxidant Activities of Ethanolic Extracts Obtained from α-Pinene-Containing Plants and Their Use in Cosmetic Emulsions.

α-Pinene is the bicyclic, unsaturated terpene hydrocarbon present in many plants. Due to its beneficial chemical properties, this compound is of great interest and has found numerous applications as a raw material in many chemical industries as well as in medicine and cosmetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activities of ethanolic extracts obtained from plants containing α-pinene and to test the properties of cosmetic emulsions prepared with these extracts.

6-bromoindigo dye.

6-Bromoindigo (MBI) [systematic name: 6-bromo-2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-2-ylidene)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-3-one], C(16)H(9)BrN(2)O(2), crystallizes with one disordered molecule in the asymmetric unit about a pseudo-inversion center, as shown by the Br-atom disorder of 0.682 (3):0.318 (3).

Role of everlasting triplet expansions in protein evolution.

Analysis of occurrence of simple amino acid repeats in large ensemble of prokaryotic and eukaryotic sequences reveals that nearly all amino acids found in the repeats belong to those which have in their codon repertoires aggressively expanding triplets, all of three known pathologically expanding classes GCU (GCU, CUG, UGC, AGC, GCA, CAG), GCC (GCC, CCG, CGC, GGC, GCG, CGG), and AAG (AAG, AGA, GAA, CTT, TTC, TCT). This is observed especially clear in the first exons of proteins of higher eukaryotes. The data are interpreted as manifestation of everlasting triplet expansions, which, presumably, started from the very origin of the triplet code.

Health status of personnel occupationally exposed to radiowaves.

The findings of medical examinations performed in two groups of persons occupationally exposed to microwaves and radiofrequency radiation are presented in comparison with control findings. A group of 49 radar operators from the Zagreb Air Traffic Control was examined twice within a period of 18 months. The other group comprised 46 workers employed in radio relay stations.

The relationship between colony-forming ability, chromosome aberrations and incidence of micronuclei in V79 Chinese hamster cells exposed to microwave radiation.

Cultured V79 Chinese hamster fibroblast cells were exposed to continuous radiation, frequency 7.7 GHz, power density 0.5 mW/cm2 for 15, 30 and 60 min.

The effect of microwave radiation on the cell genome.

Cultured V79 Chinese hamster cells were exposed to continuous radiation, frequency 7.7 GHz, power density 30 mW/cm2 for 15, 30, and 60 min. The parameters investigated were the incorporation of [3H]thymidine and the frequency of chromosome aberrations.

Suppression of maternal lymphocyte mitogenic responses by supernatants from short-term placental cell cultures.

Human placental cells were freed from lymphocyte contamination on discontinuous BSA gradients. Supernatants from short-term cultures of these purified placental cell suspensions were predominantly suppressive for maternal lymphocyte blast transformation to phytohemagglutinin and in the mixed lymphocyte culture. The suppressor factor was nondialyzable and did not contain IgG or human chorionic gonadotropin.

Infertility and depression.

This is a preliminary report of an ongoing study of the relationship between unexplained infertility and depressive illness conducted by a team of two specialists: a gynecologist and a psychiatrist. Over a 3-year period, 16 cases of unexplained infertility and depressive illness were treated by the team. Nine of the cases received psychiatric treatment, consisting of pharmacotherapy with Amitriptyline and a limited number of psychotherapy sessions.

Irrigation technique for detection of Mycoplasma intrauterine infection in infertile patients.

To improve the method for identification of Mycoplasma as a cause of unexplained infertility and to test whether mycoplasmal endometritis could be responsible for reproductive failure, successful endometrial jet washing technique was performed on 59 infertile patients. Sixteen patients (27%) showed positive Mycoplasma growth. Five patients (31%) from this group became pregnant within a few months following an antibiotic treatment.

Unruptured interstitial pregnancy. Diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms and signs of interstitial pregnancy cannot be differentiated from symptoms and signs of other ectopic pregnancies. Unruptured interstitial gestations are usually diagnosed incidental to the work-up of a suspected ectopic gestation. Unlike some teaching, a characteristic pelvic mass was palpable in 3 of 4 cases.

Cortisol levels in amniotic fluid in prostaglandin F2alpha-induced midtrimester abortion.

Cortisol concentrations in amniotic fluid and maternal plasma were determined by a competitive protein-binding assay in 14 patients in the midtrimester of pregnancy before and after intra-amniotic administration of prostaglandin F2alpha. Samples were obtained at three-hour intervals until abortion or until the fetal heartbeat ceased. The mean plasma levels of cortisol increased from 324 +/- 173 ng.

Progesterone levels in amniotic fluid and maternal plasma in prostaglandin F2alpha-induced midtrimester abortion.

Progesterone concentrations in amniotic fluid and maternal plasma were determined in 11 midtrimester pregnant patients following the intraamniotic administration of prostaglandin F2alpha. Samples were obtained at 3-hour intervals until abortion or spontaneous rupture of membranes occurred or fetal heart tones disappeared. In amniotic fluid, the mean progesterone concentrations increased throughout the sampling period.

Fifteen years experience with artificial insemination.

Artificial insemination is today an accepted procedure in circumventing sterility. In recent years this procedure gained much popularity as the number of infants available for adoption steadily decreased due to the liberal abortion laws. A review of 15 years of practiced experience (senior author) is presented.