Lightness perception in simple images: Testing the anchoring rules

One approach toward understanding how vision computes surface lightness is to first determine what principles govern lightness in simple stimuli and then test whether these hold for more complex stimuli

Diverzitet i praćenje leta lisnih vaši kao potencijalnih vektora virusa uljane tikve u Srbiji

The fauna of aphids appearing on cucurbits, including oilseed pumpkin have been poorly investigated in Serbia. Yellow water traps were used to determine the diversity of aphid species visiting cucurbits in Serbia and to monitor their flight activity. During the years 2009 to 2011, a total of 1,447 specimens were collected and a total of 57 different aphid taxa were identified. In 2009, the highest total number of aphids were caught (755), followed by 203 and 489 aphids in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The most abundant species were Aphis fabae (15%), Myizus persicae (13.4%) and Acyrthosiphonpisum (11.7%), followed by Anoecia corni (6.4%) and Aphis gossypii (5.6%). All of them, except A. corni, are reported as efficient vectors of cucurbit viruses. These five species represent 52.1% of all aphid species collected within this study. Out of 57 taxa found in oilseed pumpkin crops, 17 are known as vectors of ZYMV, 18 of WMV and 15 of CMV. Generally, 25 out of a total of 57 taxa are known as vectors of at least one of three viruses present in Serbia. From total of 1,447 specimens collected during three years of investigation, 917 (63.4%) are vectors of at least one of three viruses. Individual oilseed pumpkin plants were frequently colonized by A. gossypii during all three years of investigation. Results of this study showed that Serbian oilseed pumpkin growing localities are grouped among medium to reach in aphidofauna, according to total Shannon-Weaver index values which varied from 1.8 to 2.8. The highest value of Shannon-Weaver (2.8) was recorded in the Bački Petrovac I locality in 2009, while the lowest Shannon-Weaver (1.8) was recorded in Kisač locality in 2010. The maximum values of Shannon-Weaver diversity index in almost all crops were recorded in the second week of investigation or in early stages of oilseed pumpkin growth when plants had 5-6 true leaves or were in flowering stage, when potential virus infection could lead to significant yield losses.Afidofauna koja se javlja na tikvama, uključujući uljanu tikvu do sada nije dobro ispitana u Srbiji. Da bi utvrdili diverzitet lisnih vaši koje posećuju useve tikava u Srbiji, kao i da bi pratili aktivnost i dinamiku njihovog leta, koristili smo žute lovne klopke. Tokom perioda od 2009. do 2011. godine ukupno je sakupljeno 1447 jedinki i determinisano 57 taksona lisnih vaši. Tokom 2009. godine, uhvaćen je najveći broj jedinki (755), dok je tokom 2010. i 2011. godine uhvaćeno 203, odnosno 489 jedinki lisnih vaši. Najzastupljenije vrste bile su Aphis fabae (15%), Myzus persicae (13,4%) i Acyrthosiphon pisum (11,7%), a zatim Anoecia corni (6,4%) i Aphis gossypii (5,6%). Za sve vrste, osim za A. corni, potvrđeno je da su vektori virusa tikava. Ovih pet najzastupljenijih vrsta predstavljaju 52,1% od svih sakupljenih jedinki vaši u toku ovih istraživanja. Od ukupno 57 taksona nađenih u usevima uljane tikve, 17 su poznati vektori ZYMV, 18 WMV i 15 CMV. Ukupno posmatrano, 25 od 57 nađenih taksona su vektori bar jednog od tri virusa tikava prisutnih u Srbiji. Od ukupno 1447 jedinki sakupljenih tokom tri godine istraživanja, 917 (63,4%) su vektori bar jednog od tri virusa tikava. Kolonizacija pojedinačnih biljaka uljane tikve vrstom A. gossypii uočavana je često tokom sve tri godine istraživanja. Rezultati ovih istraživanja, na osnovu ukupnog Shannon-Weaver-ovog indeksa diverziteta koji je varirao između 1,8 i 2,8, ukazuju da se lokaliteti na kojima se gaji uljana tikva u Srbiji svrstavaju u red srednje bogatih do bogatih po sastavu i brojnosti afidofaune. Najveća vrednost Shannon-Weaver-ovog indeksa diverziteta (2,8) zabeležena je tokom 2009. godine na lokalitetu Bački Petrovac I, dok je najniži indeks diverziteta (1,8) zabeležen na lokalitetu Kisač tokom 2010. godine. Shanon-Weaver-ov indeks diverziteta u gotovo svim ispitivanim usevima dostigao je maksimalne vrednosti u drugoj nedelji istraživanja ili u ranim fazama razvoja uljane tikve kada biljke imaju 5-6 pravih listova ili su u fazi cvetanja, što predstavlja najosetljivije faze za ostvarenje infekcije virusima koje mogu da dovedu do značajnih gubitaka u prinosu

Volumetric Analysis of Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Prefrontal Cortex in Therapy-Naive PTSD Participants

Objective. In our study we have hypothesized that volume changes of amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex are more pronounced in male posttraumatic stress disorder participants. Material and Methods. We have conducted a study of 79 male participants who underwent MRI brain scanning. PTSD diagnosis was confirmed in 49 participants. After MRI was taken all scans were software based volume computed and statistically processed. Results. We found that left amygdala is the most significant parameter for distinction between PTSD participants and participants without PTSD. There were no significant differences in volumes of hippocampi and prefrontal cortices. Roc curve method outlined left amygdala AUC = 0.898 (95% CI = 0.830-0.967) and right amygdala AUC = 0.882 (95% CI = 0.810-0.954) in the group of PTSD participants which makes both variables highly statistically significant. Conclusion. The present investigation revealed significant volume decrease of left amygdala in PTSD patients. Concerning important functions of the amygdala and her neuroanatomical connections with other brain structures, we need to increase number of participants to clarify the correlation between impared amygdala and possible other different brain structures in participants with PTSD

Monitoring biljnih vašiju (Hemiptera: Aphididae) u usevima šećerne repe

Proizvodnja šećerne repe u Srbiji odvija se na oko 40.000 hektara. Jedan od najznačajnijih problema u proizvodnji je virus žutice šećerne repe (BYV) čije je širenje uslovljeno biljnim vašima, vektorima ovog virusa. S obzirom da biljne vaši vetrovi mogu preneti na veliku daljinu, model praćenja kretanja biljnih vaši u šećernoj repi je od izuzetnog značaja za uspešnu proizvodnju. Virusne zaraze je nemoguće lečiti ili ublažiti njihov efekat na biljke, ali je moguće pratiti let njihovih vektora i smanjiti njihovo prisustvo, a time i procenat zaraze virusima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je praćenje leta biljnih vaši, vektora BYV u usevima šećerne repe. Istraživanje je obavljeno tokom 2019. godine na tri lokaliteta: od kojih su dva na poljima Instituta za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo u Novom Sadu i jedan u Temerinu. Let biljnih vaši je praćen pomoću žutih lovnih klopki, po dve na sva tri lokaliteta. Klopke su postavljene sredinom aprila, odmah nakon nicanja repe, a uzorci su sakupljani jednom nedeljno do 22. novembra 2019. god

EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON ACYRTHOSIPHON PISUM AND THERIOAPHIS TRIFOLII (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE) ABUNDANCE IN ALFALFA CROPS: A CASE STUDY IN NORTHERN SERBIA

Populations of the most abundant alfalfa aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum and Therioaphis trifolii, have periodic fluctuations, and many factors affect their dynamics. In the present study, we examined the impact of daily air temperatures on the abundance of two alfalfa aphids in field conditions. The numbers of these two aphids on alfalfa were documented at two locations in a representative alfalfa growing area in Serbia during a three-year field study. Based on the records of aphid abundance and daily air temperatures during the whole study, it was found that a correlation between the sum of optimal daily air temperatures for aphid development, the sum of maximum daily air temperatures and the number of recorded aphid peaks was significant and can therefore be considered for the detection of suitable temperature conditions to increase aphid abundance. The study shows that the highest correlations were between a high density of A. pisum and the sum of optimal daily air temperatures for its development (Ck=0.569) and between a high density of T. trifolii and the sum of maximum daily air temperatures (Ck=0.595). The length of time required for the growth of populations of the two alfalfa aphids differed: 30 days for A. pisum and 5 days for T. trifolii. The association of temperature data to alfalfa aphid abundance enables a projection of their population behavior in changed future climate conditions. This study suggests increased population sizes of T. trifolii and decreased population sizes of A. pisum on alfalfa under the warmer conditions that are expected to prevail in the future. © 2022 Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Belgrade). All rights reserved

Use of collaborative research between SME and University-research institutes to build new infant formula products

Breast milk is the best food for infants during the first 6 months of life, because of the valuable nutrition composition and presence of biologically active ingredients and therefore is considered the gold standard in feeding a baby. Understanding the role of human milk on infant health is fundamental in realising opportunities in the design and production of next generation infant formula. Scientific institutions have significant research expertise in examination of nutrition effect of food, designing formulas and technologies which can be accessed by food industry including production of infant formulas

Strawberry Polyphenols Attenuate Ethanol-Induced Gastric Lesions in Rats by Activation of Antioxidant Enzymes and Attenuation of MDA Increase

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Free radicals are implicated in the aetiology of gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcer, colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. Strawberries are common and important fruit due to their high content of essential nutrient and beneficial phytochemicals which seem to have relevant biological activity on human health. In the present study we investigated the antioxidant and protective effects of three strawberry extracts against ethanol-induced gastric mucosa damage in an experimental in vivo model and to test whether strawberry extracts affect antioxidant enzyme activities in gastric mucosa. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Strawberry extracts were obtained from Adria, Sveva and Alba cultivars. Total antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging capacity were performed by TEAC, ORAC and electron paramagnetic resonance assays. Identification and quantification of anthocyanins was carried out by HPLC-DAD-MS analyses. Different groups of animals received 40 mg/day/kg body weight of strawberry crude extracts for 10 days. Gastric damage was induced by ethanol. The ulcer index was calculated together with the determination of catalase and SOD activities and MDA contents. Strawberry extracts are rich in anthocyanins and present important antioxidant capacity. Ethanol caused severe gastric damage and strawberry consumption protected against its deleterious role. Antioxidant enzyme activities increased significantly after strawberry extract intake and a concomitantly decrease in gastric lipid peroxidation was found. A significant correlation between total anthocyanin content and percent of inhibition of ulcer index was also found. CONCLUSIONS: Strawberry extracts prevented exogenous ethanol-induced damage to rats' gastric mucosa. These effects seem to be associated with the antioxidant activity and phenolic content in the extract as well as with the capacity of promoting the action of antioxidant enzymes. A diet rich in strawberries might exert a beneficial effect in the prevention of gastric diseases related to generation of reactive oxygen species

Double deficit: the case of Croatia

Stabilizacijski program hrvatske vlade iz 1993. godine je za cilj imao obuzdati inflaciju na temelju postizanja gospodarske ravnoteže. Za navedeno je bilo potrebno izjednačiti prihode i rashode državnog proračuna, te uravnotežiti platnu bilancu. Postojanje dvostrukog deficita temelji se na porastu uvoza, stagnaciji izvoza i naslijeđenom dugu iz ranijih razdoblja. Cilj ovog rada je analizirati dvostruki deficiti na temelju odabranih indikatora, odnosno salda platne bilance, državnog proračuna, te vanjskog duga kroz razdoblje od 1994. do 2015. godine

Double deficit: the case of Croatia

Stabilizacijski program hrvatske vlade iz 1993. godine je za cilj imao obuzdati inflaciju na temelju postizanja gospodarske ravnoteže. Za navedeno je bilo potrebno izjednačiti prihode i rashode državnog proračuna, te uravnotežiti platnu bilancu. Postojanje dvostrukog deficita temelji se na porastu uvoza, stagnaciji izvoza i naslijeđenom dugu iz ranijih razdoblja. Cilj ovog rada je analizirati dvostruki deficiti na temelju odabranih indikatora, odnosno salda platne bilance, državnog proračuna, te vanjskog duga kroz razdoblje od 1994. do 2015. godine

Double deficit: the case of Croatia

Stabilizacijski program hrvatske vlade iz 1993. godine je za cilj imao obuzdati inflaciju na temelju postizanja gospodarske ravnoteže. Za navedeno je bilo potrebno izjednačiti prihode i rashode državnog proračuna, te uravnotežiti platnu bilancu. Postojanje dvostrukog deficita temelji se na porastu uvoza, stagnaciji izvoza i naslijeđenom dugu iz ranijih razdoblja. Cilj ovog rada je analizirati dvostruki deficiti na temelju odabranih indikatora, odnosno salda platne bilance, državnog proračuna, te vanjskog duga kroz razdoblje od 1994. do 2015. godine