WIMANET: The Power of a Network in Wildlife Malaria Research

The Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET) is an EU-COST-funded global network of researchers and stakeholders interested in wildlife malaria and related haemosporidian parasites. The network has six working groups covering a diverse range of core topics within wildlife malaria research, focusing on genetics and genomics, species identification, vectors, haematology, communities, and communication. Up to now, the network includes 229 members from 45 countries including Europe, America, Africa, and Asia, but this number is continually growing. This review outlines the aims and goals of WIMANET, providing a summary of activities and plans for each of the six working groups for the next years. The network is open to new members, and we provide details on how both new and existing members can get involved in the network and take part in activities.WIMANET provides a global platform for collaborative and innovative research, and we encourage all members of the wildlife malaria community (and beyond) to take advantage of the opportunities the network offers

Variscan Gornjane granitoid as an alternative cold-water reservoir in the ore-baring and mining area of eastern Serbia: Quantitative-qualitative characterization (Carpathian-Balkan belt, Getic unit)

The diminishing high-quality groundwater reservoirs have sparked significant interest in hard-rock aquifers, especially in active mining and raw material exploration areas. This paper aims to forecast the quantity and quality of alternative water resources in the area, thus facilitating the planning and design of the existing water resource systems. The focal point is the groundwater accommodated within basement-type alternative igneous aquifers nestled within an active mining and exploration province belonging to the Carpathian-Balkan fold-and-thrust belt (Banat-Timok Province/Banatitic Belt, sector in eastern Serbia). Despite their lower water-bearing capacity, we underscore the significant hydrogeological potential of natural water igneous-type aquifers, such as the Variscan Gornjane massif. For the first time, this research identifies different reservoirs across the granite massif, providing a fresh perspective on the regional water resource systems. By categorizing reservoirs based on porosity type, flow rates, depth of reservoir rocks (in the depth range of 50 m), and distribution, this study significantly enhances the forecasting of the new water resource system, underlining the importance of this research in the field of water resources and mining. In addition to faulted sections of granite, aquifers are formed in the area characterized by weathered and decomposed granite fragments, often referred to as gruss deposits. The gruss layer has a flow rate reaching up to 0.01 l/s. In terms of the water quality, the groundwaters of the Gornjane granite massif mostly do not contain elements that are above the maximum permitted concentrations for drinking water. However, the occurrence of the elements Fe Mn in some water samples and the presence of Al Pb in one sample, as well as Se, As, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Ga, and Bi, suggest the contact of water with sulfide mineralization detected in granite rocks of Rudna Glava-Tanda-Luka area, raising concerns about potential water quality issues

Exploring the effects of untreated wastewater on metal concentrations and DNA damage in common bream Abramis brama (L, 1758) in the Danube River, Serbia

The Danube River is the largest international river in the world, running through 10 countries and home to 83 million people in its basin. As it flows, the river encounters several challenges, particularly from untreated wastewater discharge in developing countries like Serbia. This pollution includes both inorganic and organic waste, with a key concern being the presence of metals and metalloids, due to their persistence and bioaccumulation potential. They may affect DNA directly and indirectly, potentially causing alterations at higher levels of biological organisation and decline in biodiversity. This study aimed to analyze the concentrations of 19 micro and macro elements (Mn, As, Ni, Zn, Pb, Li, Fe, Ba, Mo, P, Se, Al, Cd, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cr, Cu) in the liver, gills, and muscle of common bream Abramis brama (L, 1758), as well as DNA damage level in blood, liver and gill cells. The element concentrations were measured using ICP-OES, and DNA damage was evaluated with an alkaline comet assay, focusing on 10 specimens collected during 2022 at the site on the Danube River in the capital of Serbia, which is affected by untreated communal wastewater. Findings indicated that DNA damage was most pronounced in all three tissues during the summer months, with blood exhibiting the highest level, followed by gills and liver. The gills contained the highest concentrations of most elements, with the liver and muscle following. A significant negative correlation was identified between Ni and Mn concentrations in the gills and the degree of DNA damage in blood. Conversely, a significant positive correlation was observed between DNA damage in blood and that in the gills. This study emphasizes the severe impact of metals and metalloids on affected organisms and highlights the increased DNA damage observed during the summer. The elevated levels of analyzed parameters in the gills suggest that water is the primary source of pollution. Key words: Danube River, wastewater, metal accumulation, DNA damage, comet assay, common bream

Impact of Microplastics on Forest Soil Properties in Pollution Hotspots in Alluvial Plains of Large Rivers (Morava, Sava, and Danube) of Serbia

Plastic pollution has become a major environmental problem, while the products of its degradation, microplastics (MPs), appear everywhere on Earth. Data on MPs in agricultural soils have appeared lately, but a significant knowledge gap exists regarding forest soils. In Serbia, municipal waste is often dumped in forests, creating environmental problems that have not been documented. To explore the impact of waste dumping and MPs on forest fluvisols, we evaluated MPs from topsoils of three waste dumps and adequate visibly plastic non-contaminated forest sites located in alluviums of the largest rivers in Serbia. For assessing the influence of environmental factors on soil MPs, samples were taken in three forest vegetational seasons, in two years. The impact of MPs on soil structure, chemistry, and microbial respiration (MR) was examined. Undisturbed soil columns from uncontaminated sites with added known MP particles were used to estimate the dynamic of MP transfer through the topsoil. Large aggregate formation, soil coarse sand content, specific mass, porosity, and available P, but not MR were affected by contamination. Seasonal and annual environmental changes significantly influenced the behavior of MPs in forest luvisols. MPs effectively penetrated the deeper layers of soil columns within 3 months, with strong accumulation in the 0–10 cm layer

The Influence of Bacterial Inoculants and a Biofertilizer on Maize Cultivation and the Associated Shift in Bacteriobiota During the Growing Season

Maize (Zea mays L.) relies heavily on nitrogen and phosphorus inputs, typically supplied through organic and inorganic fertilizers. However, excessive agrochemical use threatens soil fertility and environmental health. Sustainable alternatives, such as poultry manure (PM) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), offer promising solutions. This study examines the effects of a phytobiotic bacterial formulation (PHY), composed of Bacillus subtilis and Microbacterium sp., applied alone and in combination with PM, on maize’s rhizosphere bacteriobiome across key growth stages. Field trials included four treatments: a control, PHY-coated seeds, PM, and combined PHY_PM. The results show that early in development, the PM-treated rhizospheres increased the abundance of beneficial genera such as Sphingomonas, Microvirga, and Streptomyces, though levels declined in later stages. The PHY_PM-treated roots in the seedling phase showed a reduced abundance of taxa like Chryseobacterium, Pedobacter, Phyllobacterium, Sphingobacterium, and Stenotrophomonas, but this effect did not persist. In the PM-treated roots, Flavisolibacter was significantly enriched at harvesting. Overall, beneficial bacteria improved microbial evenness, and the PHY_PM treatment promoted bacterial diversity and maize growth. A genome analysis of the PHY strains revealed plant-beneficial traits, including nutrient mobilization, stress resilience, and biocontrol potential. This study highlights the complementarity of PM and PGPR, showing how their integration reshapes bacteriobiome and correlates with plant parameters in sustainable agriculture

Possibility to use local ponded ash as supplementary cementitious material

Production of Portland cement, the main binder material used in construction, contributes to ~5% of global CO2 emissions. In order to reduce the negative environmental impact of cement production, cement producers and users adopted various strategies, mostly based on more extensive use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and reduction of cement clinker content in cements. This resulted in shortage of CEM I in markets and raised reasonable concerns about future availability of traditionally used SCMs, such as fly ash. On the other hand, more than 400 ha of arable land in Serbia are taken by landfills where fly ash produced by the local thermal power plants is already being disposed. The aim of this work is development of sustainable low carbon footprint binder with low cement clinker content, in which a portion of CEM II is substituted by ponded fly ash (PA). Two PA samples from “Nikola Tesla” power plant were used: one recently disposed (sample from the active landfill, PAA), and the PA sample taken from the closed, passive, landfill (sample PAP). Mechanical activation was used as a method to improve properties of the PA samples and increase their content in the binder. It was found that up to 20 wt.% of mechanically activated PAA could be used as the cement substitute while maintaining excellent mechanical properties of the used CEM II, thus providing 52.5 MPa 28-days compressive strength. At the same time, binder samples that contained up to 30 wt.% of mechanically activated PAP showed good mechanical properties, and developed compressive strength higher than 42.5 MPa after 28 days of curing

The dynamics of phase transitions and symmetry changes with laser heating in ZnO(Co) nanoparticles

In this study, we investigated the effects of laser-induced heating on ZnO samples with varying CoO dopant concentrations, prepared using the traditional calcination method at 600 ◦C. The relationship between peak intensity, phase, and symmetry changes during laser heating and its relation to dopant concentration was explored. Our results revealed phase transitions during the additional heating process, highlighting that such transitions can occur even when symmetry remains unchanged. The key dopant concentrations at which phase transitions are most evident were found to be 30 % CoO and 70 % CoO. This study provides insights into the complex behavior of CoO doped ZnO under laser-induced heating and contributes to understanding phase transition mechanisms in these materials

Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil of Satureja montana L. against Reproductive Tract Pathogens of Cattle

Prekomerna upotreba antimikrobnih agenasa dovela je do razvoja rezistencije bakterijskih sojeva na određene antibiotike, prisustva rezidua antibiotika u proizvodima životinjskog porekla i drugih negativnih posledica. Kako bi se prevazišli ovi problemi, širom sveta se vrše ispitivanja efikasnosti brojnih lekovitih biljaka, zbog njihovih antimikrobnih svojstava. Cilj ove studije bio je da se istraži antibakterijska aktivnost etarskog ulja (EU) dobijenog iz Satureja montana L. protiv patogena izolovanih iz materice krava, terenskih sojeva i bakterijskih sojeva dobijenih iz Američke kolekcije tipičnih kultura (ATCC): Trueperella pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp. i Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum. Hemijski profil EU analiziran je pomoću gasne hromatografije povezane sa masenom spektrometrijom (GC-MS). Antibakterijska osetljivost patogena testirana je u uslovima in vitro korišćenem Disk Difuzionog Testa, dok je za određivanje Minimalne Inhibitorne Koncentracije (MIK) korišćen Agar Dilucioni Test (ADT) i Mikrodilucioni Test (MT) (za anaerobne sojeve). Rezultati antimikrobne aktivnosti, dobijeni različitim testovima, ukazuju da je EU Satureja montana sa dominantnim aktivnim supstancama p-cimen (42,83%) i karvakrol (28,11%) od ukupno 17 identifikovanih hemijskih komponenti, moćan antimikrobni agens. Od testiranih bakterijskih izolata, 67,2% je bilo osetljivo, 32,8% je bilo sa srednjim stepenom osetljivosti, a 0% testiranih različitih bakterijskih izolata je bilo potpuno otporno. Pored toga, izračunate MIK vrednosti za ADT i MDT su bile <1 µl/mL za antibakterijske izolate svih vrsta, što se smatra vrlo efikasnim. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na visok antimikrobni potencijal EU Satureja montana, koje se može koristiti za kontrolu različitih infekcija bakterijskog porekla, uključujući i one koje dovode do poremećaja u reproduktivnom sistemu krava, kao što je endometritis.The abundant use of anti-infective agents resulted in developing resistance of bacteria strains to certain antibiotics, the presence of antibiotic residues in animal products and other negative consequences. To overcome these problems, a variety of medicinal plants have been screened worldwide for their antimicrobial properties. The aim of the present work was to examine the antibacterial activity of essential oil (EO) obtained from Satureja montana L. against pathogens from animal uterus, isolates (field strains) and bacterial strains obtained from American type culture collection (ATCC): Trueperella pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp. and Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum. Chemical profile of EO was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antibacterial sensitivity of pathogens was tested in vitro using a Disc diffusion method, and for determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), Agar Dilution Test (ADT) and Microdilution assay (MDT) (for anaerobic strains) were used. The results of antimicrobial activity obtained from different tests suggest that EO of S. montana, consist mainly from p-cymene (42.83%) and carvacrol (28.11%) of the total 17 compounds identified, is potent antimicrobial agent with 67.2% susceptible, 32.8% intermediate and 0% resistant bacterial isolates of different species. Moreover, calculated MIC values on both ADT and MDT were <1 µl/mL for bacterial isolates from all species, which is considered highly effective. The obtained results suggest high antimicrobial potential of S. montana EO which can be used for the treatment of various diseases of bacterial origin, including those affecting the female reproductive tract in cows such as endometritis

Evidence and characterisation of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis causing bacterial blight of walnut in Montenegro

This study represents the first evidence of the bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj) on walnut trees in Podgorica (Montenegro). Disease symptoms appeared on leaves in the form of dark, angular leaf spots surrounded by yellow-green haloes and lesions spread across the whole leaf. Isolated bacteria were preliminarily identified using PCR with pathovar-specific primer pair XajF/XajR and further characterised based on multi-locus sequence analysis with nine housekeeping genes (fusA, gapA, gltA, gyrB1, lepA, rpoD, dnaK, fyuA, and gyrB2). Montenegrin walnut isolates were homogeneous among themselves and the most closely related to different X. arboricola strains originating from Juglans regia isolated elsewhere. The pathogenicity of isolates was confirmed on walnut leaves, fruits, and branches. All inoculations resulted in the formation of necrotic lesions that initially developed at the site of bacteria entry, with later developing chlorotic areas on leaves along the leaf veins. This finding of Xaj causing leaf blight symptoms on walnuts in Montenegro highlights its expanding distribution across Europe and indicates a potential threat to walnut plantations in Montenegro

Field experiment on the uptake of lead, strontium, cobalt, and nickel in the wood and bark of spruce (Picea abies L.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb.)

Human activities have significantly altered the availability and circulation of pollutants, impacting their concentrations in the environment. This pollution notably affects trees. In this study, we conducted two separate experiments (I and II) to investigate the uptake of lead, strontium, cobalt, and nickel in spruce (Picea abies L.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb.) seedlings. These seedlings were exposed to elevated levels of these metals by adding them to the soil. Our field experiments provide insights into metal accumulation in natural environments. We measured concentrations of these elements, along with manganese and zinc, in the soil, wood, and bark using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results showed increased levels of the added metals in the wood and bark of both tree species. Notably, there was a significant increase in lead and nickel concentrations in Douglas-fir wood. The lead concentration in Douglas-fir wood was 7 and 4 times higher in experiments I and II, respectively, compared to the control group of seedlings, while the nickel concentration was 18 and 10 times higher. These findings suggest that Douglas-fir wood has potential for phytostabilization of lead and nickel based on trace element concentrations and transfer factors