The non-polar extracts of E. clavarioides exhibited the highest cell growth inhibition activity with hexane extract reaching IC50 at 1 μg mL-1. The DCM extract of E. caerulescens reached IC50 at a concentration of 10 μg mL-1, while other extracts didn’t show any activity. The hexane and DCM extracts of E. polygona exhibited the highest cell growth inhibition activity, reaching IC50 at a concentration of 10 μg mL-1. All 4 extracts of E. trigona didn’t show cell growth inhibition. All Euphorbia species showed the presence of secondary metabolites. The biuret and xanthoprotein methods indicated that there were no proteins detected in all 5 Euphorbia species. TLC profiles of toxic extracts revealed additional bands which were absent in non-toxic species. CONCLUSION It is concluded that the TLC method developed in this study can be used as a quick screen method to possibly distinguish toxic from non-toxic species, as well as in identifying the studied species.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has improved the survival of HIV infected patients significantly. However, in some patients, survival is not guaranteed due to several factors that are either individual-based or cART based. This study presents an HIV, AIDS, Death (HAD) model to analyse the survival of patients on cART. MATERIALS AND METHODS Continuous-time Markov models are fitted based on the states occupied for an HIV, AIDS and Death (HAD) model. These states are based on CD4 cell count. Factors that affect the survival of HIV-infected patients on cART are also analyzed. These, among others, include age, gender, routinely collected viral load, time on treatment, non-adherence and peripheral neuropathy. RESULTS Patients with higher viral loads than expected are 11.1 times more likely to be at risk of HIV progression to the AIDS state and 1.1 times more likely to be at risk of mortality from a CD4 cell count state above 200 cell/mm3compared to patients with lower viral loads. Non-adherence to treatment increases the risk of transition from CD4 cell count state above 200 cell/mm3 to the AIDS state by 2.2 folds. Patients who were non-adherent to treatment are 3.8 times more likely to transit from the CD4 state above 200 cell/mm3 to death compared to patients who were adherent to treatment. Patients are expected to recover from the AIDS state after one year of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Recovery from AIDS state by HIV infected patients on cART is likely to occur after one year of cART treatment. However, if the viral load remains higher than expected, this increases risks of immune deterioration even after having achieved normal CD4 cell counts and consequently, mortality risks are increased.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Spirulina is a rich source of nutrients viz., essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, carotenoids and vitamins. The study was carried out to evaluate of Spirulina maxima addition as source of nutrients, antioxidants and color on processed cheese properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS Processed cheese analogue treatments were supplemented with Spirulina maxima powder (1, 2 and 3%). The chemical, physical, color and sensorial properties of processed cheese analogue supplemented with S. maxima were evaluated through 3 months of cold storage (7°C). Also, the antioxidant capacity of S. maxima processed cheese analogue treatments was determined. RESULTS The spreadable processed cheese analogue with 3% S. maxima powder had higher chemical components except ash compared to control cheese. The results of physical properties showed that the penetrometer reading of the S. maxima processed cheese treatments was higher than those of control allover storage period, while oil separation and melt ability were lower. The S. maxima processed cheeses were more green (a-value) and lower whiter (L-value) than those of control. The highest free radical scavenging activity (57.24%) was recorded for S. maxima processed cheese analogue treatment (3%). From the sensorial results, the S. maxima processed cheese analogue (1 or 2%) treatments was higher acceptable compared to those of 3%. CONCLUSION Hence, adding S. maxima powder (1 or 2%) during processed cheese analogue manufacture let the cheese to develop special color (green), high nutritional value, antioxidant activity and sensorial scores.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Inclusion of vitamin E in poultry diets and manipulation of temperature at early age has been known to help birds cope with heat stress at later age of their life. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of early age heat conditioning (EHC) and vitamin E addition on the performance and blood parameters to alleviate deleterious impact of heat stress in quail chicks. MATERIAL AND METHODS Three hundred one-day-old quail chicks were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5 replicates with 15 birds of each. Treatments were Control, vitamin E Chicks were fed the basal diet supplemented with 200 IU kg-1 diet vitamin E, EHC Chicks were exposed to 40±1°C for 2 h at days 7th and 13th of embryogenesis and EHC+vitamin E Chicks were exposed to 40±1°C for 2 h at days 7th and 13th of embryogenesis and fed the basal diet supplemented with 200 IU kg-1 vitamin E. The experiment lasted from 1-40 days of age. RESULTS The results indicated that using early age heat conditioning and/or supplementation of vitamin E significantly (p less then 0.05) improved body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio at 40 days of age. Significantly (p less then 0.05) improvement was observed in blood pH, H/L ratio and Hb concentration, thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), plasma protein fractions and antioxidant status (Total antioxidant capacity, catalase and superoxide dismutase). CONCLUSION Exposed quail chicks to early age heat conditioning and addition of vitamin E at 200 IU kg-1 diet can effectively alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Gas station attendants are occupationally exposed to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) compounds and thus more susceptible to the biological effects of this mixture present in gasoline, especially due to the carcinogenicity of benzene. T-DXd price Furthermore, the harmful effects of BTEX exposure may be potentiated by genetic and epigenetic inactivation of critical genes. The objective was to evaluate such gene-BTEX interactions accessing the promoter methylation status of p14ARF, p16INK4A and GSTP1 in peripheral blood leukocyte samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS The 59 exposed and 68 unexposed participants from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were included. The promoter methylation status was accessed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism was investigated by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. RESULTS Both p14ARF and p16INK4A were significantly hypermethylated in exposed subjects compared to unexposed (p = 0.004 and p less then 0.001, respectively).