Developing service-oriented application for the educational cloud

In this paper we present an application which is used for cloud computing infrastructure management. The application is based on web services and it is integrated with an existing e-learning system. Main users of the applications are teachers and students and the application consists of two main parts which are web application and mobile application. The application is successfully implemented at the e-Business Laboratory of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Belgrade

Effects of Pelargonium sidoides extract vs roxithromycin on chemokine levels in nasal secretions of patients with uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis

Background: Previous investigations suggest the use of extract from the roots of Pelargonium sidoides (EPs 7630) for the therapy of uncomplicated rhinosinusitis. The aim of this prospective study was to compare the effects of herbal drug EPs 7630 and antibiotic roxithromycin on chemokine production in nasal mucosa and clinical parameters in patients with uncomplicated acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS). Methods: Seventy-eight ABRS patients were divided into 26 patients receiving EPs 7630 tablets, 3 × 20 mg/day per os (group 1), 26 patients receiving roxithromycin tablets, 2 × 150 mg/day per os (group 2), both for 10 days, and 26 patients who received no therapy (Control group). We measured chemokine levels in nasal secretions by flow cytometry and assessed clinical parameters on day 0 and day 10 of investigation. Results: EPs 7630 increased concentrations of MCP-1 (P =.001) and IP-10 (P =.049) and decreased levels of MIP-1α (P <.001), ENA-78 (P <.001), and IL-8 (P <.001). Roxithromycin increased levels of IP-10 (P =.049) and decreased levels of MCP-1 (P <.001), MIP-1α (P <.016), ENA-78 (P <.001), and IL-8 (P <.001). Comparison of the non-treated patients' group with groups 1 and 2 revealed significant improvement of all clinical parameters in treated patients (P <.001), but therapy with roxithromycin resulted in better improvement in nasal symptoms and endoscopic findings than therapy with EPs 7630. Conclusion: Our results suggest the presence of similar modulatory effects of both therapies on production of chemokines that regulate the function of neutrophils and monocytes in nasal mucosa. Roxithromycin shows better clinical efficacy than EPs 7630 in patients with uncomplicated ABRS. Level of Evidence: 1b

Transfomativna infrastruktura viktorijanskog Londona: ka zdravim i zelenim gradovima

Posle nekoliko razornih talasa kolere u Londonu tokom 50-ih i 60-ih godina 19. veka, izvršeni su veliki infrastrukturni radovi na izgradnji kanalizacije, čime je epidemija konačno zaustavljena. Ser Džozef Vilijam Bazaldžet je u to vreme bio glavni gradski inženjer u Metropolitan Board of Vorks (MBV) koji je projektovao i nadgledao izgradnju sistema koji je transformisao London i njegovu suprastrukturu, odnosno njegovu vidljivu izgrađenu morfologiju. Medicinsko znanje u kombinaciji sa novim inženjerskim pristupom projektovanju urbane infrastrukture omogućilo je dalji napredak londonske tipologije objekata. To su bili sanitarni uslovi koji su diktirali ovu transformaciju. Od tada je ideja sanitarnog grada uvek bila jedan od osnovnih principa i preduslova za poželjan urbani razvoj. Danas, tokom pandemije COVID-a, koncept sanitarnog grada dobio je novi značaj. Kakva nam je danas potrebna urbana infrastruktura koja bi bila efikasna u kontroli sadašnjih i budućih pandemija? Možemo li kombinovati medicinsko znanje sa tehnološkim i ekološkim inovacijama u dizajnu i izgradnji kako bismo naše gradove pretvorili u urbane prostore koji bolje odgovaraju na izazove pandemije? Šta možemo naučiti iz iskustva viktorijanskog Londona i koje su nove perspektive u planiranju modernog sanitarnog grada? Verujemo da nas u budućnosti očekuju novi veliki infrastrukturni radovi, ovoga puta sa zelenom infrastrukturom u glavnoj ulozi. Zelenilo u vidu rešenja zasnovanih na prirodi pokrenuće novi napredak ka zdravom i održivom gradu.After several devastation waves of cholera in London during the 50s and 60s of the 19th century, large infrastructural works were carried out on the construction of the sewage system, which finally stopped the epidemic. Sir Joseph William Bazalgette was at the time the Chief (Municipal) Engineer to the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) who designed and oversaw the construction of the system that transformed London and its suprastructure i.e. its visible built morphology. Medical knowledge combined with new engineering approach to urban infrastructure design has enabled further progress of London building typology. It was the sanitary conditions that dictated this transformation. Since then, the idea of a sanitary city has always been one of the prime principles and precondition for desirable urban development. Today, during the COVID pandemic, a sanitary city concept gained new significance. What kind of urban infrastructure do we need today that would be effective in controlling current and future pandemics? Can we combine medical knowledge with technological and ecological innovations in design and construction in order to transform our cities into urban spaces that have a better response to the challenges of pandemics? What can we learn from the experience of Victorian London and what are the new perspectives in planning a modern sanitary city? We believe that new grand infrastructure works await us in the future, this time with green infrastructure in the leading role. Greenery in the form of nature based solutions will initiate new progress towards a healthy and sustainable city

Rresence of different Candida species at denture wearers with type 2 diabetes and clinically healthy oral mucosa: Pilot study

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to examine prevalence of different Candida spp. at diabetics and nondiabetics wearing dentures without clinical signs of Denture Stomatitis (DS) and to study if some local and systematic factors are confounders for harboring Candida at these subjects. Material and Methods: Total of 60 subjects wearing partial or complete upper acrylic denture having at least half of palatal mucosa covered by denture were selected and stratified into three experimental groups: systematically health subjects; patients with diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and good glycoregulation; and T2D subjects with poorly regulated blood sugar level. Cotton swab samples were obtained from each patient from hard palate mucosa and denture surface. Swab cultures were made on Sabouraud dextrose agar and ChromAgar Media for distinciton of various Candida spp. Density growth was also measured. Results: Frequency of Candida spp. findings were similar between groups. At healthy subjects, only C.albicans was detected. At diabetics, C.albicans was the most common isolated species, followed by C.glabrata and C.tropicalis. Negative finding of yeasts on palatal mucosa, but positive on denture surface were detected at all groups, with the highest frequency (33.4%) at diabetics with poor glycoregulation. Denture surface was heavier colonized than hard palate mucosa. Duration of diabetes in years were only independent predictors for harboring Candida spp. at denture surface (Exp B=1.186, CI=1.047-1.344, p=0.007). Conclusions: Prosthesis of denture wearers without DS may serve as reservoir of Candida spp. Presence of more pathogenic and resistant non-albicans species are related to diabetics, even without clinical signs of DS

Karantinski korovi u semenu lucerke i njihov uticaj na efikasnost dorade

In the process of alfalfa seed processing, all relevant parameters are directly dependant on presence of weed species and other impurities in natural seed, as well as on the equipment used. The higher amount of weed in natural alfalfa seed lowers the total amount of processed seed, making the processing harder and more expensive. In alfalfa crop, quarantine weeds are especially harmful, such as dodder (Cuscuta spp.) and curly dock (Rumex spp.). One of the greatest problems in alfalfa planting is the presence of harmful parasitic flowering plant dodder (Cuscuta spp.) which is typical weed - alfalfa parasite that lowers hay and seed production. The paper shows the results of the analysis of influence different weed content from two lots of natural alfalfa seed (I, II) of different purity, on the relevant processing parameters. Processing of the both lots of seed was done on the same equipment. The relevant parameters that define alfalfa seed processing effects were: pure seed (%), weed seeds and seeds of other cultures (%), inert matters (%), seed processing time (h), consumption of active (kWh) and reactive power (kVArh), processed seed quantity (kg), metal powder (kg) and water (l) consumption, processing output (%) and seed losses (%).U procesu dorade semena lucerke svi relevantni parametri dorade direktno zavise od zastupljenosti korovskih vrsta i ostalih primesa u naturalnom semenu, kao i od sistema mašina koji se koristi za doradu. Veći sadržaj štetnih korova u naturalnom semenu lucerke smanjuje ukupnu količinu dorađenog semena, otežava i poskupljuje doradu. U usevu lucerke posebno su štetni karantinski korovi, vilina kosica (Cuscuta spp.) i štavelj (Rumex spp.). Jedan od najvećih problema u gajenju lucerke je prisustvo štetne parazitske cvetnice viline kosice (Cuscuta spp.) koja je tipičan korov - parazit lucerke koji smanjuje proizvodnju sena i semena. U radu su prikazani rezultati analize uticaja različitog sadržaja semena korova u dve partije naturalnog semena lucerke (I, II) različitih čistoća, na relevantne parametre dorade. Dorada obe partije semena obavljala se na istom sistemu mašina. Relevantni parametri koji definišu efekte dorade semena lucerke bili su: čisto seme (%), seme korova i seme drugih kultura (%), inertne materije (%), vreme dorade semena (h), utrošak aktivne (kWh) i reaktivne električne energije (kVArh), količina dorađenog semena (kg), utrošak metalnog praha (kg) i vode (l), randman dorade (%) i gubici semena (%)

NEW DATA ON PRESENCE OF CANDIDATUS PHYTOPLASMA SOLANI ON POTATO IN VOJVODINA PROVINCE

BACKGROUND Bačka (Vojvodina, Serbia) is one of the main potato-growing areas in Serbia. The presence of the stolbur-associated symptoms in the form of reddening and leaf rolling, shortened internodes, and aerial tuber formation were frequently noticed on the potato plants. Therefore, the identification of the causal agent of the disease was initiated, considering that presence of phytoplasmas was not earlier reported in Maglić locality. OBJECTIVES This research aimed to identify the causal agent of the phytoplasmas’ disease in potato field (unknown cultivar) in locality Maglić (Bačka) in 2021. METHODS Samples for the identification within the survey site consisted of pooled multiple diseased plants (leaves and tubers). Genomic DNA from the ten pooled samples was extracted using the Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Identification was performed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using universal phytoplasma 16S rRNA primer pair P1/P7. The obtained sequences were checked for identity with the deposited strains in the NCBI database using the BLASTn search tool. Further, Neighbour-joining (NJ) tree was made to reconstruct the phylogeny of potato strains in relation to deposited strains in the NCBI database. RESULTS PCR amplification performed with primer pair P1/P7 resulted in amplicon generation at 1800 bp for three (two from tubers and one from leaves) out of a total of ten tested samples. BLASTn analysis revealed 100% identity of potato strains with deposited strains of Candidatus Phytoplasma solani, the 16SrXII-A ribosom al subgroup. NJ phylogenetic analysis grouped potato strains in the same tree cluster with NCBI deposited strains of Ca. Phytoplasma solani

Management of orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis in pediatric patients : a 15-Year single-center experience

BACKGROUND: The major clinical dilemma managing acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) in pediatric population is distinguishing uncomplicated rhinosinusitis from a complicated bacterial ARS and orbital complications, the latter requiring antimicrobials and surgical intervention. However, factors associated with severe orbital complications and the optimum management strategy remains controversial. The objectives of this study were to characterize the clinical outcomes of children with orbital complications of ARS and to identify risk factors associated with disease severity. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis evaluated the clinical outcomes of 61 children admitted for orbital complications between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2017. Descriptive statistics were performed to examine the demographics and clinical findings. We compared groups using Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and χ for categorical variables. RESULTS: Although two-thirds of children had received prehospital antibiotics, half of the cohort presented with post-septal orbital complications. While 83% of isolates obtained from the same patients were susceptible to the prehospital antibiotics given, the majority of those who received prehospital antibiotics nevertheless required surgical intervention. We observed significant association between the age of presentation and disease severity. Children >5 years of age presented with more severe orbital complications despite prehospital antibiotics and were more likely to require surgical intervention (P 5 years with ARS due to worse orbital complications despite prehospital antibiotics.PostprintPeer reviewe

NEW DATA ON PRESENCE OF CANDIDATUS PHYTOPLASMA SOLANI ON POTATO IN VOJVODINA PROVINCE

BACKGROUND Bačka (Vojvodina, Serbia) is one of the main potato-growing areas in Serbia. The presence of the stolbur-associated symptoms in the form of reddening and leaf rolling, shortened internodes, and aerial tuber formation were frequently noticed on the potato plants. Therefore, the identification of the causal agent of the disease was initiated, considering that presence of phytoplasmas was not earlier reported in Maglić locality. OBJECTIVES This research aimed to identify the causal agent of the phytoplasmas’ disease in potato field (unknown cultivar) in locality Maglić (Bačka) in 2021. METHODS Samples for the identification within the survey site consisted of pooled multiple diseased plants (leaves and tubers). Genomic DNA from the ten pooled samples was extracted using the Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Identification was performed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using universal phytoplasma 16S rRNA primer pair P1/P7. The obtained sequences were checked for identity with the deposited strains in the NCBI database using the BLASTn search tool. Further, Neighbour-joining (NJ) tree was made to reconstruct the phylogeny of potato strains in relation to deposited strains in the NCBI database. RESULTS PCR amplification performed with primer pair P1/P7 resulted in amplicon generation at 1800 bp for three (two from tubers and one from leaves) out of a total of ten tested samples. BLASTn analysis revealed 100% identity of potato strains with deposited strains of Candidatus Phytoplasma solani, the 16SrXII-A ribosom al subgroup. NJ phylogenetic analysis grouped potato strains in the same tree cluster with NCBI deposited strains of Ca. Phytoplasma solani

Sodium Periodate Oxidation of Raw Jute Fabric – A Novel Approach for Tuning the Jute Structure and Properties

This investigation represents a novel approach for tuning the jute structure and properties using sodium periodate (NaIO4) oxidation. The obtained results revealed that the jute fabrics exhibited an increase in the aldehyde group content (for up to 114.7%) with an increase in the NaIO4 concentration and/or oxidation duration. Due to the decline in the cellulose lateral order index (LOI) and fiber crystallinity index after oxidation, it can be concluded that jute crystalline areas are affected by sodium periodate oxidation. Both mentioned parameters are responsible for fabric mechanical properties, so, it was expected that by decreasing the LOI and jute fibers’ crystallinity, their maximum force and stiffness will decrease too. This behavior is also attributed to the fiber damage, which is the most pronounced for the fabric treated with 0.4% NaIO4 for 120 min. Besides slightly deteriorated mechanical properties, fabrics oxidized with 0.2% NaIO4 for 60 or 120 min and with 0.4% NaIO4 for 60 min showed lower mass loss (6.78-12.22%) after 750 abrasion cycles compared to the raw jute (18.94%). Furthermore, oxidation led to obtaining fabrics with enhanced moisture sorption and water retention power that are inversely proportional to the fiber crystallinity. Due to the opportunity for tuning fiber structure and properties oxidized fabrics can be considered for various applications such as geo-prebiotic supports for cyanobacteria growth in biocarpet engineering, i.e., to promote a sustainable relationship between the microbiota and abiotic constituents on the degraded land surface

Grape seed flour of different grape pomaces: Fatty acid profile, soluble sugar profile and nutritional value

The aim of this study was to determine fatty acid and soluble sugar profiles of the grape seed flour originated from non-fermented dried pomace of international and autochthonous grape varieties in order to estimate their potential nutritional value. The grape seed flours were obtained from the grapes harvested in technological maturity. It has been shown that grape seed flours contained significant quantities of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), especially linoleic fatty acids, whose content ranged from 61.15 - 83.47 %. Oleic acid mostly contributed to the content of monounsaturated fatty acids, while the stearic acid was the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA). Among polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly ω-6 FAs, were the most represented. The tested grape seed flours had the high UFA/SFA ratio (3.63-11.09), low atherogenicity (0.04-0.13) and thrombogenicity (0.16-0.47) indices. Fifteen different sugars were found in analysed samples with the total concentration ranging from 40588 to 91319 mg/kg seed with fructose and glucose as the most abundant. Principal component analysis based on the content of FAs and soluble sugars revealed unique composition of the seed flour of Prokupac variety. These findings indicate that the tested grape seed flours is a good source of nutritionally valuable FAs and sugars that can play an important role in the formulation of a new functional food products