Viability of European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus (L., 1766) populations in Serbia

Evropska tekunica (Spermophilus citellus, L. 1766) je endemična vrsta za područje Centralne i Jugoistočne Evrope. Recentni areal je karpatskim masivom podeljen na dva dela. Severni deo se karakteriše uniformnim stepskim staništima koja se javljaju na malim nadmorskim visinama, dok se južni deo areala nalazi na Balkanu, gde su prisutni različiti tipovi staništa sa različitim ekološkim uslovima i na različitim nadmorskim visinama. Najveći broj populacija na području Srbije nalazi se u njenom severnom delu, tj. Vojvodini, dok je svega nekoliko malih i izolovanih planinskih populacija prisutno u istočnom i jugoistočnom delu zemlje Tekunice naseljavaju isključivo stepska staništa, livade i pašnjake koji su obrasli niskom travom. Međutim, usled intenzivnog pretvaranja stepskih predela u poljoprivredno zemljište tokom proteklih nekoliko decenija, nestala su široka prostranstva na kojima je tekunica bila kontinuirano rasprostranjena. Danas vrsta opstaje samo na jako izolovanim stepsko-livadskim fragmentima koji su sačuvani unutar dominantnog poljoprivrednog matriksa. S obzirom da broj populacija konstantno opada na celom arealu i da je budući opstanak vrste doveden u opasnost, tekunica je od 2008. godine na IUCN Crvenoj listi ugroženih vrsta svrstana u kategoriji ranjiva (VU). Zakonski status tekunice u Evropi regulišu EU Direktiva o staništima (Aneks II i IV) i Konvencija o očuvanju evropske divlje flore i faune i prirodnih staništa, poznatija kao Bernska konvencija (Aneks II). Unutar mreže Natura 2000 do sada je u režim zaštite uključeno 414 staništa koja naseljava tekunica. Na nacionalnom nivou tekunica je zaštićena zakonom kao strogo zaštićena vrsta. U cilju analize genetičkog diverziteta i strukture populacija tekunice na teritoriji Srbije, u periodu 2007-2009. godine, prikupljeno je ukupno 180 uzoraka tkiva sa 11 lokaliteta (Krušedol, Neradin, Mala Remeta, Sremska Mitrovica, Banatska Palanka, Šušara, Mokrin, Lok i Tomislavci sa teritorije Vojvodine i po jedan lokalitet sa Vlasine i Stare planine). Procena gustine i brojnosti populacija tekunice vršena je u periodu 2004- 2014. godine na lokalitetima Krušedol i Neradin koji su smešteni na obodu fruškogorskog masiva, kao i lokalitetu Banatska Palanka koji se nalazi na obodu Deliblatske peščare...The European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus, L. 1766) is endemic species to the Central and Southeastern Europe. Its recent range is divided in two main parts by the Carpathian Mountains. The northern part of the range is characterized by uniform steppe habitats at low altitudes, while the southern part is situated on the Balkan Peninsula, where different types of habitats, with different environmental conditions and at different altitudes are present. The majority of Serbian populations is located in the northern part of the country, i.e. in Vojvodina, while only a few small and isolated mountain populations are present in the east and southeastern part of the country. The European ground squirrel inhabits steppes, meadows and pastures covered with short grass. These once widely distributed habitats, which were commonly inhabited by European ground squirrels, had disappeared due to their intensive transformation into agricultural land during the past few decades. Today, species survives only in very isolated steppe-meadow fragments which are preserved within the dominant agricultural matrix. Given that a number of populations is continually declining throughout the range and that the future survival of the species is put in danger, the European ground squirrel has been protected since 2008 under the IUCN Red List of threatened species as a vulnerable species (VU). Its status in Europe is governed by the EU Habitats and Species Directive (Annexes II and IV) and the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, known as the Bern Convention (Annex II). Also, 414 of its habitats are under protection regime within the Natura 2000 network. At the national level, European ground squirrel is protected by law as a strictly protected species. In order to analyze the genetic diversity and the structure of the European ground squirrel in Serbia, a total of 180 tissue samples from 11 localities (Krušedol, Neradin, Mala Remeta, Sremska Mitrovica, Banatska Palanka, Šušara, Mokrin, Lok and Tomislavci from area of Vojvodina, one locality from Vlasina and one from Stara Planina Mountain were collected during the 2007-2009. Density and abundance of the European ground squirrel populations were estimated during the period 2004-2014 on the localities Krušedol and Neradin, which are located on the periphery of Fruška Gora Mountain, as well as on the locality Banatska Palanka, which is located on the periphery of the Deliblato Sands..

Cytokinin homeostasis and expression of the genes involved in cell cycle control during kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes) regeneration in vitro

Regeneracija in vitro gajenog biljnog tkiva kontrolisana je regulatorima rastenja, naročito citokininima i auksinima. Egzogeno primenjeni biljni regulatori rastenja mogu interagovati sa endogenim biljnim hormonima i uticati na njihovu biosintezu ili distribuciju, odnosno menjati hormonalnu homeostazu koja utiče na razviće in vitro. Proces regeneracije biljaka in vitro podrazumeva intenzivne ćelijske deobe, a centralnu ulogu u kontroli ćelijskog ciklusa i razvića organa imaju kompleksi ciklina i kinaza zavisnih od ciklina na čiju sintezu, odnosno aktivnost, utiču pomenuti biljni hormoni. U tom smislu, ciljevi ovog rada bili su uspostavljanje efikasnih protokola za regeneraciju biljaka kelerabe (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes) in vitro, sa posebnim osvrtom na identifikaciju i kvantifikaciju različitih grupa citokinina i indol-3-sirćetne kiseline (IAA) u eksplantatskim tkivima sa regenerisanim izdancima, kao i analiziranje obrazaca i intenziteta ekspresije gena koji kodiraju cikline i kinaze zavisne od ciklina tokom de novo organogeneze izdanaka. Efikasan sistem za repetitivnu somatsku embriogenezu (SE) kod kelerabe, sorta Bečka Plava (BP), je uspostavljen iz nezrelih zigotskih embriona. Najveća frekvencija SE detektovana je kod nezrelih zigotskih embriona u ranom kotiledonarnom stadijumu razvića gajenih na hranljivoj podlozi bez regulatora rastenja. Uspešna indukcija de novo organogeneze izdanaka kelerabe, sorte BP i Bečka Bela (BB), postignuta je kod odsečaka hipokotila i intaktnih klijanaca, na podlogama sa pojedinačnim citokininima (CK): 6-benzilaminopurin (BAP), tidiazuron (TDZ), transzeatin (transZ) ili cis-zeatin (cisZ). Frekvencija regeneracije kao i vijabilnost regenerisanih izdanaka obe sorte je bila veća kod intaktnih klijanaca, dok su među primenjenim citokininima BAP i TDZ bili najefikasniji u indukciji de novo organogeneze. Kvantifikacija endogenog sadržaja citokinina i IAA u odsečcima hipokotila sa regenerisanim izdancima (HRI) kao i u intaktnim klijancima sa regenerisanim izdancima (KRI) je ukazala na to da uočene razlike u organogenom odgovoru ova dva tipa početnog biljnog materijala mogu biti povezane sa njihovim hormonskim statusom...vitro plant regeneration is under control of plant growth regulators (PGRs), especially cytokinins and auxins. Exogenously applied PGRs can affect the homeostasis of endogenous plant hormones by influencing their biosynthesis and distribution, subsequently altering in vitro development. Intensive cell divisions represent the basis of in vitro plant regeneration, and they are controlled by complexes of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases. The activity of these complexes during cell cycle and organ development is affected by plant hormones. Respecting this, the aims of this study were developing efficient protocols for in vitro regeneration of kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes) with an emphasis on identification and quantification of different groups of endogenous cytokinins and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in explant tissue with respective regenerated shoots, as well as analyzing expression of genes encoding cyclins and and cyclin-dependent kinases during de novo shoot organogenesis. Efficient system for repetitive somatic embryogenesis (SE) was developed for kohlrabi cv. Vienna Purple (VP) using immature zygotic embryos. The highest frequency of SE was obtained from immature zygotic embryos at the early cotyledonary stage grown on PGR-free medium. Successful induction of de novo shoot organogenesis in kohlrabi cv VP and cv. Vienna White (VW) was achived using hypocotyl explants and intact seedlings, cultivated on media supplemented with single cytokinin (CK): 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), thidiazuron (TDZ), trans-zeatin (transZ) or cis-zeatin (cisZ). Higher frequency of shoot regeneration as well as viability of regenerated shoots was detected for intact seedlings, with BAP and TDZ being the most efficient in de novo organogenesis induction. Quantification of endogenous cytokinin and IAA contents in both hypocotyl explants and seedlings with regenerated shoots (HRSs and SRSs, respectively) suggested that the observed differences in organogenic response between these two types of starting plant material were related to their cytokinin and IAA contents. The level of total CKs was higher in HRSs, while SRSs displayed a higher IAA/bioactive CKs ratio..

Nosocomial infections and microbiological agents in an intensive care unit

Hospital environments provide a special setting for the interaction of microbiological agents of infection and a host of patients and healthcare workers. Although the basic tenets about the spread of infections in hospital have not changed, new issues have emerged that make infection control more problematic. The aim of this paper was to provide the epidemiological characteristics of nosocomial infections and pathogens among patients in an intensive care unit (ICU), the department with the highest risk of the infections associated with medical devices and healthcare

Aromatic Phosphoryl Thiocholines. II. Syntheses and Physicochemical Properties

The synthesis of seven undescribed 0-ethyl-S-[(2-N-methyl- N-arylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioates (compounds I-VII) and their methosulphates (compounds VIII-XIV) is presented together with their physicochemical characteristics. From N,N-dimethylarylamines were prepared N-methyl-N-( 2-hydroxyethyl)arylamines which with phosphorus oxychloride gave the corresponding N-methyl,N-(2-chloroethyl)arylamines. By reacting them with sodium 0-ethyl methylphosphonothioate the substances I-VII were obtained. The substances VIII-XIV were obtained by quaternization of substance I-VII with dimethylsulphate. As intermediate products the following new compounds were 1synthetized: N-methyl- N-(2-hydroxyethyl)m-methoxyphenylamine, N-methyl- N-(2-hydroxyethyl)p-methoxyphenylamine, N-methylN-( 2-chloroethyl)m-methoxyphenylamine and N-methyl- N-(2- -chloroethyl)p-methoxyphenylamine

Coordinated self-interference of wave packets: a new route towards classicality for structurally stable systems

This is a study of proton transmission through planar channels of tungsten, where a proton beam is treated as an ensemble of noninteracting wave packets. For this system, the structural stability manifests in an appearance of caustic lines, and as an equivalence of self-interference produced waveforms with canonical diffraction patterns. We will show that coordination between particle self-interference is an additional manifestation of the structural stability existing only in ensembles. The main focus of the analysis was on the ability of the coordination to produce classical structures. We have found that the structures produced by the self-interference are organized in a very different manner. The coordination can enhance or suppress the quantum aspects of the dynamics. This behavior is explained by distributions of inflection, undulation, and singular points of the ensemble phase function, and their bifurcations. We have shown that the coordination has a topological origin which allows classical and quantum levels of reality to exist simultaneously. The classical behavior of the ensemble emerges out of the quantum dynamics without a need for reduction of the quantum to the classical laws of motion

Contact varroacidal efficacy of lithium citrate and its influence on viral loads, immune parameters and oxidative stress of honey bees in a field experiment

With an almost global distribution, Varroa destuctor is the leading cause of weakening and loss of honey bee colonies. New substances are constantly being tested in order to find those that will exhibit high anti-Varroa efficacy at low doses/concentrations, without unwanted effects on bees. Lithium (Li) salts stood out as candidates based on previous research. The aims of this study were to evaluate Li citrate hydrate (Li-cit) for its contact efficacy against Varroa, but also the effect of Li-cit on honey bees by estimating loads of honey bee viruses, expression levels of immune-related genes and genes for antioxidative enzymes and oxidative stress parameters on two sampling occasions, before the treatment and after the treatment. Our experiment was performed on four groups, each consisting of seven colonies. Two groups were treated with the test compound, one receiving 5 mM and the other 10 mM of Li-cit; the third received oxalic acid treatment (OA group) and served as positive control, and the fourth was negative control (C group), treated with 50% w/v pure sucrose-water syrup. Single trickling treatment was applied in all groups. Both tested concentrations of Li-cit, 5 and 10 mM, expressed high varroacidal efficacy, 96.85% and 96.80%, respectively. Load of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus significantly decreased (p < 0.01) after the treatment in group treated with 5 mM of Li-cit. In OA group, loads of Acute Bee Paralysis Virus and Deformed Wing Virus significantly (p < 0.05) increased, and in C group, loads of all viruses significantly (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001) increased. Transcript levels of genes for abaecin, apidaecin, defensin and vitellogenin were significantly higher (p < 0.05—p < 0.001), while all oxidative stress parameters were significantly lower (p < 0.05—p < 0.001) after the treatment in both groups treated with Li-cit. All presented results along with easy application indicate benefits of topical Li-cit treatment and complete the mosaic of evidence on the advantages of this salt in the control of Varroa

Hiperreaktivnost bronhija u elektrokeramičkoj industriji

Seventy-four female shift workers employed in the oxide ceramics industry were examined: a group of 38 workers from the press workshop and a group of 36 controls from the mounting workshop from the same factory. The two groups did not differ by age, years of employment, smoking habit or height. Persons with atopic constitution and serious respiratory disease were excluded from the study. Interstitial lung disease was eliminated by X-ray examinations. All subjects underwent a clinical examination and completed a questionnaire. Measurements of ventilatory lung functions demonstrated no difference between the groups; lung function values were normal, (ton-specific airway reactivity was expressed as PC50 Rt i.e. 50% increase in resistance in relation to the value measured after inhalation of the physiological solution. A significant difference was found for PC50 Rt between the exposed and control workers during (P<0.001) and outside working hours (P<0.01). Significantly different PC50 Rt values were also established within the group of exposed workers as well as within thai of control workers dunng and outside working hours (P<0.014 and P<0.0018 respectively). The majority of hyperreactive persons were workers from the press workshop (n-17) when measurements were performed during working hours. For earty detection of respiratory diseases in workers employed in the oxide ceramics industry preemployment examinations and regular check-ups aiming to determine non-specific airway reactivity are suggested as necessary.Ispitano je 74 radnica zaposlenih u tvornici oksidne keramike (34 radnice zaposlene u prešaonici i 36 kontrolnih radnica iz montažne hale). Skupine se nisu razlikovale po dobi, trajanju radnog staža, visini i indeksu pušenja. Niti jedna od radnica nije imala znakove atopičke konstitucije, a na rendgenskoj snimci pluća nisu uočene promjene plućnog intersticija. Obje skupine ispitanica podvrgnute su kliničkom pregledu i ispitane su na osnovi standardiziranog upitnika. Izmjerene su i ventilacijske funkcije pluća na uređaju Pneumoscreen I, Jaeger, Njemačka. U obje skupine vrijednosti FVC, FEV1, MEF25, MEF50, i MEF75 bile su u granicama normalnih. Ispitivanje nespecifične reaktivnosti dišnih putova provedeno je histamin difosfatom na uređaju Astograph, Chest Corporation, SAD. Za izraz nespecifične reaktivnosti korišten je PC50 Rt tj. porast rezistencije za 50% u odnosu na izmjerenu vrijednost nakon udisanja fiziološke otopine. Nađena je statistički značajna razlika za PC50 Rt s obzirom na kumulativnu dozu provokativnog agensa među radnicama prešaonice i montaže izmjeren tijekom ali i izvan radnog vremena (P<0,001;P<0.01). Nađena je statistički značajna razlika za PC50 Rt radnica u prešaonici za vrijeme i izvan radnog vremena (P<0,014) ali i radnica u montaži (P<0,0018). U skupini radnica prešaonice tijekom radnog vremena utvrđeno je 17 osoba s PC50 Rt dobivenim s manje od 8 mg/ml histamin disfosfata. U radu se naglašava potreba za sustavnim praćenjem nespecifične reaktivnosti dišnih putova u keramičkoj industriji

Treatment of Tobacco Dust Leachate by Activated Sludge – Evaluation of Biokinetic Parameters

Treatment of tobacco dust leachate represents an important problem because of high concentrations of organic compounds. Experiments were carried out in a batch conditions at initial concentrations of activated sludge of 3.1 g dm–3 (Exp.1) and 6.0 g dm–3 (Exp.2) and different initial concentrations of organic matter in leachate, expressed as COD concentrations, which were in range from 500 to 5000 mg dm–3. Efficiency of biodegradation process was approximately 89.4 % of COD removal. The kinetic parameters, maximum specific growth rate (μmax), substrate saturation constant (Ks) and overall yield coefficient (Y), during experiments were found to be 0.088 h–1, 4241 mg dm–3, and 0.400 mg mg–1 for Exp. 1; and 0.052 h–1, 3168 mg dm–3, and 0.257 mg mg–1 for Exp. 2, respectively. Monod model gives very good fits to experimental data, accompanied by a high regression coefficient (R2)

REZIDBA KROŠNJE NE SMANJUJE ALTERNATIVNU RODNOST JABUKE SORTE “ELSTAR”

Four alternative pruning strategies (A– 25 generative buds, B– 50 generative buds, C– 75 generative buds and D–100 generative buds per tree) for Elstar apple cultivar and their possible impact on improvement in productivity were examined in 1999 and 2000. Year was significant factor for all traits, except yield. The pruning strategy is significant for number of fruits per flower cluster and fruit mass. Interaction year and pruning strategy is significant only for number of fruits per flower cluster. Fruit mass was larger for pruning strategy A compared to the pruning strategies C and D. Yield efficiency and biennial bearing index were not affected by pruning strategies. The biennial bearing index variance was the lowest for the pruning strategy B. Trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) had negative impact on fruit mass in pruning strategy C. Correlation between the flower and crop density was positive in pruning strategy A. Flower density was in positive correlation with yield in pruning strategy C. The research shows that tree pruning alone will not result in adequate yield regulation in ‘Elstar’ apple.Istraživane su četiri različite varijante reza jabuke sorte Elstar u 1999. i 2000. godini te njihov mogući utjecaj na poboljšanje produktivnosti te sorte (rez A– opterećenje od 25 generativnih pupova /stablu, B– 50 generativnih pupova /stablu, C– 75 generativnih pupova /stablu i D–100 generativnih pupova /stablu). Godina je imala signifikantan utjecaj na sve tretmane, osim priroda. Načini rezidbe bili su signifikantni za broj plodova po gronji i za masu plodova. Interakcija godina*rez je signifikantna samo za broj plodova po gronji. Rez A dao je veću masu plodova u odnosu na rezove C i D. Efikasnost rodnosti i indeks alternacije nisu pokazali opravdane razlike izmeñu načina reza. Varijanca indeksa alternativnosti bila je najniža za rez B. Poprečna površina presjeka debla (TCSA) imala je negativan utjecaj na masu plodova kod reza C. Korelacija izmeñu broja gronja/TCSA i broja plodova /TCSA bila je pozitivna u rezu A. Broj gronja/TCSA u pozitivnoj je korelaciji s prirodom u rezu C. Zaključeno je da rezidba nadzemnog dijela ne može dati odgovarajuću regulaciju rodnosti jabuke sorte Elstar