Human ehrlichiosis

Background. Human ehrlichiosis is a newly recognized disease. It is a tick-borne disease caused by several bacterial species of the genhus Erlichia. These are small gram-negative pleomorphic cocci, that are obligatory intracellular bacteria. Tick Ixodes is the principle vector in Europe, and Amblyomma americanum in the United States. Bacterial organisms replicate in a tick, and are transmited from infected cells in a vector to the blood cells of animals or humans. Human ehrlichiosis is a name for a group of diseases caused by different species of Ehrlichia. One of them is the disease named human monocytic ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and the other is a human granulocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilia. Case report. We reported a 23-year-old patient admitted for the clinical treatment with the symptoms of high febrility (above 40 °C), headache, vomiting, general weakness and exhaustion, but without data on a tick bite. The patient was treated with trimetoprim-sulfamethoxazole for a week when Ehrlichia chaffeensis was confirmed by the immunofluoroscence test, and the therapy contimed with doxacyclin. Conclusion. Human ehrlichiosis is also present in our country, so this disease should be considered everyday, especially in infectology practice

Characterization of Roman mortar from the Mediana archeological site

Ovaj rad prikazuje istraživanje rimske žbuke rabljene za konstrukciju poda u objektima koji su imali sustav podnog grijanja – hipokaust, u rezidencijalnim vilama s peristelom (Naisus, Srbija). Ispitano je i analizirano ukupno sedam uzoraka žbuke s različitih lokacija vile s ciljem dobivanja informacija o njezinim morfološkim, mineraloškim, kemijskim i osnovnim fizikalnim karakteristikama. Za utvrđivanje ovih svojstava rabljena je: optička mikroskopija, skenirajući elektronski mikroskop (SEM), s EDS analizom, difrakcijska analiza s X-zrakama (XRD). Žbuka ima prilično ujednačene karakteristike preko cijele površine poda hipokausta. Žbuka dominantno čini karbonatno vezivo i agregat veličine zrna od 0,05 do 2 mm s rijetkom pojavom zrna dimenzija 10 mm. Kao agregat za žbuku rabljeni su dijelovi žbuke, zrna krečnjaka, kvarc, metamorfiti i vulkaniti. Uporaba drobljene opeke i prisustvo reakcijskog ruba, potvrđuje njezinu funkciju hidrauličnog vezivanja. Slaba veza između zrna agregata i krečnjačkog veziva omogućava transport vode kroz formiranu tranzitnu zonu.This paper presents the study of the Roman mortar used for construction of floors in the buildings which possessed floor heating system – hypocaust, in the residential villa with the peristyle (Naisus, Serbia). A total of seven samples of mortar from different locations of the villa were examined and analyzed for information about its morphological, mineralogical, chemical and basic physical properties. In order to determine these properties were used: optical microscopy, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDS analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The mortar is dominantly made of carbonate binder and the aggregate of grain size 0,05 to 2 mm with a rare occurrence of 10 mm grains. Fragments of mortar, grains of limestone, quartz, metarmorphite and vulcanite were used for the mortar aggregate. Usage of crushed brick and reaction rim confirms its function of hydraulic binder. The weak bonds between the aggregate grains and limestone binder facilitate transport of water through the formed transit zones

Correlations between agronomical and technological root traits in sugar beet under different environments

Šećerna repa je najvažniji usev za proizvodnju šećera u umerenim klimatskim regionima sveta. Oplemenjivanje i selekcija su veoma složeni jer je neophodno ostvariti ravnotežu između brojnih osobina korena. Cilj ovog istraživanja je da se analiziraju korelacije između osobina korena šećerne repe gajenih u različitim uslovima sredine. Tokom dve uzastopne godine (2014. i 2015.) odnosi između osobina (prinos korena, sadržaj šećera, štetni kalijum, štetni natrijum, alfa amino azot, iskorišćenje šećera i prinos kristalnog šećera) su ispitivani u različitim tretmanima mineralne ishrane. Biljni materijal se sastojao iz osam hibrida šećerne repe dok su sredine predstavljene rastućim dozama mineralnih đubriva (N, P, K).Sugar beet is the most important sugar crop in the temperate regions of the world. Breeding and selection are very complex since it is necessary to achieve the balance between the numerous sugar beet root characteristics. The aim of this study was to analyse correlations between root traits of sugar beet in different environmental conditions. The relations between traits (root yield, sugar content, potassium, sodium, amino nitrogen, recoverable sugar and white sugar yield) were examined during the two consecutive years (2014 and 2015) in different mineral nutrition treatments. Plant material consisted of eight sugar beet hybrids, while environments were represented as treatments with growing levels of mineral fertilizers (N, P, K)

Characterization of Roman mortar from the Mediana archeological site

Ovaj rad prikazuje istraživanje rimske žbuke rabljene za konstrukciju poda u objektima koji su imali sustav podnog grijanja – hipokaust, u rezidencijalnim vilama s peristelom (Naisus, Srbija). Ispitano je i analizirano ukupno sedam uzoraka žbuke s različitih lokacija vile s ciljem dobivanja informacija o njezinim morfološkim, mineraloškim, kemijskim i osnovnim fizikalnim karakteristikama. Za utvrđivanje ovih svojstava rabljena je: optička mikroskopija, skenirajući elektronski mikroskop (SEM), s EDS analizom, difrakcijska analiza s X-zrakama (XRD). Žbuka ima prilično ujednačene karakteristike preko cijele površine poda hipokausta. Žbuka dominantno čini karbonatno vezivo i agregat veličine zrna od 0,05 do 2 mm s rijetkom pojavom zrna dimenzija 10 mm. Kao agregat za žbuku rabljeni su dijelovi žbuke, zrna krečnjaka, kvarc, metamorfiti i vulkaniti. Uporaba drobljene opeke i prisustvo reakcijskog ruba, potvrđuje njezinu funkciju hidrauličnog vezivanja. Slaba veza između zrna agregata i krečnjačkog veziva omogućava transport vode kroz formiranu tranzitnu zonu.This paper presents the study of the Roman mortar used for construction of floors in the buildings which possessed floor heating system – hypocaust, in the residential villa with the peristyle (Naisus, Serbia). A total of seven samples of mortar from different locations of the villa were examined and analyzed for information about its morphological, mineralogical, chemical and basic physical properties. In order to determine these properties were used: optical microscopy, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDS analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The mortar is dominantly made of carbonate binder and the aggregate of grain size 0,05 to 2 mm with a rare occurrence of 10 mm grains. Fragments of mortar, grains of limestone, quartz, metarmorphite and vulcanite were used for the mortar aggregate. Usage of crushed brick and reaction rim confirms its function of hydraulic binder. The weak bonds between the aggregate grains and limestone binder facilitate transport of water through the formed transit zones

Krimska-kongo hemoragijska groznica

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever was for the first time recognized in Yugoslavia in 1971. In this paper were presented clinical and laboratory findings of a patient infected with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Kosovo in 1999. The disease was manifested with fever, headache, vomiting, myalgia, abdominal pain, pharyngitis, conjunctival injection, diarrhoea, hypotension, gingival bleeding, skin hemorrhages, hematuria, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, jaudice, thrombocytopenia, prolonged prothrombin and partial thromboplastin time, high serum fibrinogen degradation product, leukocytosis, mild anemia, elevated levels of bilirubin and serum aminotransferases. Diagnosis was set clinically, epidemiologically and supported by serological tests. Supportive management of hypotension, multi-organ failure, coagulation disturbances the patient was of the utmost in the treatment together with the isolation and prophylactic measures.Krimska-kongo hemoragijska groznica prepoznata je prvi put u Jugoslaviji 1971. godine. Članak prikazuje kliničke i laboratorijske karakteristike kod bolesnika sa krimskom-kongo hemoragijskom groznicom inficiranog tokom boravka na Kosovu 1999. godine. Bolest se manifestovala febrilnošću, glavoboljom, povraćanjem, bolovima u mišićima, bolom u trbuhu, upalom ždrela, konjunktivnom injekcijom, prolivom, hipotenzijom, krvarenjem iz desni, krvarenjima na koži, hematurijom, uvećanjem jetre i slezine, žuticom, smanjenjem broja trombocita, produženim trombinskim i parcijalnim tromboplastinskim vremenom, povećanjem degradacionih produkata fibrinogena, leukocitozom, blažom anemijom, povišenjem serumskih vrednosti bilirubina i aminotransferaza. Dijagnoza je postavljena klinički, epidemiološki, a podržana serološkim testovima. U terapiji je najvažnije bilo suzbijanje hipotenzije, multiorganskih oštećenja, poremaćaja koagulacije uz izolaciju i primenu profilaktičkih mera

Photonic structures improve radiative heat exchange of Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The insect cuticle serves a multitude of purposes, including: mechanical and thermal protection, water-repelling, acoustic signal absorption and coloration. The influence of cuticular structures on infrared radiation exchange and thermal balance is still largely unexplored. Here we report on the micro- and nanostructured setae covering the elytra of the longicorn beetle Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) that help the insect to survive in hot, summer environments. In the visible part of the spectrum, scale-like setae, covering the black patches of the elytra, efficiently absorb light due to the radiation trap effect. In the infrared part of the spectrum, setae of the whole elytra significantly contribute to the radiative heat exchange. From the biological point of view, insect elytra facilitate camouflage, enable rapid heating to the optimum body temperature and prevent overheating by emitting excess thermal energy

Involvement of environmentally relevant toxic metal mixture in Alzheimer's disease pathway alteration and protective role of berberine: Bioinformatics analysis and toxicogenomic screening

We aimed to examine the molecular basis of the positive effect of berberine against environmentally relevant toxic metal-linked Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Comparative Toxicogenomic Database (CTD) retrieved a set of genes common to lead, cadmium, methylmercury and arsenic linked to AD development and a set of genes through which berberine exerts a therapeutic mode of action in AD. GeneMania prediction server revealed detailed gene interactions, while Metascape highlighted protein-protein interaction enrichment (PPIE). SwissADME evaluated physicochemical properties of berberine. Berberine had an antagonistic effect for the majority of genes mutual for AD and toxic metal mixture: ACHE, APP, BAX, BCL2, CASP3, HMOX1, IL1B, MAPT, SOD2, TNF. Gene network analysis revealed interactions predicted by the server (45.29%) and physical interactions (18.39%) as the most important. Enriched biological processes analysis showed apoptotic signaling pathway, positive regulation of organelle organization and response to oxidative stress as dominant pathways involved in berberine protective effects against toxic metal mixture, while PPIE analysis showed regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway as the main gene ontology process targeted by berberine. Physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetics of berberine are in concordance with its beneficial properties in AD due to the high gastrointestinal absorption and capability to pass the blood-brain barrier