Variation of Milk Yield and Milk Composition of Pivska Pramenka Sheep Breed Through Lactation

The aim of this paper is to present the research results on the milk traits and variation of milk composition during lactation of Pivska pramenka breed, as one of the most important autochthonous sheep breeds in Montenegro. Investigation was conducted on the family sheep farm located in the municipality of Žabljak, a typical rearing area of Pivska pramenka breed. The following milk traits were studied: length of lactation, milk yield (daily milk yield – DMY and total milk yield - TMY) and milk composition (Fat, Protein, Lactose, Solid non-fat - SNF and Somatic cells count - SCC). Based on the data of 68 completed lactations, average length of lactation was 178.5 days and average milk yield 94.1 kg. On the basis of 289 milk samples analysed in 5 consecutive milk recordings, average daily milk yield was 0.549 litres, with 5.71% of fat, 5.75% of protein, 4.47% of lactose, 11.04 % of solid non-fat and 600x103 SCC on average. Differences in averages for milk composition among test days (days of milk recording) during lactation were significant (P0.01). The largest variation was for milk fat, from 2.95% in the first control to 9.42% in the fifth control, while variation of protein was between 4.5% in the first and 7.4 in the fifth control. The content of lactose exposed decreasing trend during lactation (from 4.7% in first to 3.1% in fifth control)

Prirodna radioaktivnost uglja i letećeg pepela u termoelektrani 'Nikola Tesla B'

Serbian thermal power plants (TPPs) produce Siliceous fly ash from lignite in the quantity of approximately 6 million tons per year. The Potential. Market for the use of fly ash is operational, but for the time being, only Used by cement producers. Fly ash radioactivity could be one of the major points of concern When larger use of fly ash is planned, particularly in the Serbian construction industry. Radioactivity measurements have been conducted regularly from 1980. This paper presents the results of a ten-year fly ash radioactivity measurements at the Nikola Tesla B TPP located in Obrenovac. In addition, the paper compares the natural radionuclides coal content data combusted by the Nikola Tesla B TPP boilers coming from the Kolubara Basin and ash created during coal combustion. Fly ash created in the Nikola Tesla TPPs boilers is characterised by the increased concentration of the natural radionuclides content compared to coal. This is the so-called technologically enhanced natural radioactivity (Technologically Enhanced Occurring Radioactive Material - TENORM) of industrial waste, whereas the average specific activities: Th-232 in coal amount to 25.2 Bq/kg, and in fly ash and coal 84.2 Bq/kg and U-238 38.3 Bq/kg, respectively. Following the obtained natural radionuclides content results it may be concluded that the Nikola Tesla B TPP ash may be disposed into the environment. Ash may be used also in the construction industry (civil engineering). In building construction applications, ash share as the additive to other building materials depends from its physical and chemical characteristics, as well as from the radionuclides activity: Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40. Unlike the thermal power plants regularly (once a year) testing the specific natural radionuclides activity in the combusted coal and boiler fly ash, the Electric Power Industry of Serbia has not performed large-scale investigations of the natural radionuclides content in coal within the Kolubara Mining Basin. Natural radionuclides content in fly ash is compared to the combusted coal some 3-4 times higher and may present a limitation for applying ash in the construction industry. In view of the above, and considering the construction industry interests in using the Nikola Tesla B TPP ash, regular investigations of the natural radionuclides content in ash created in the thermal power plants should be carried out, together with the Kolubara Mining Basin coal combusted by the Nikola Tesla B TPP and other PE EPS thermal power plants. The current Kolubara Mining Basin coal characteristics investigation programme should be supplemented by the natural radionuclides content of the uranium (U-238 and Ra-226) and thorium series (Th-232) and potassium 40(K-40).U termoelektranama (TE) Javnog preduzeća 'Elektroprivreda Srbije' (JP EPS) koje u kotlovima sagorevaju lignit, kao nus produkat nastaje godišnje oko 6 miliona tona letećeg pepela. Potencijalno tržište za upotrebu letećeg pepela postoji, ali ga za sada koriste isključivo cementare. Radioaktivnost letećeg pepela može da predstavlja jedan od važnih razloga protiv njegove šire upotrebe u građevinskoj industriji Srbije. Merenje radioaktivnosti u termoelektranama redovno se sprovodi od 1990. godine. U radu su prikazani rezultati dvadesetogodišnjih merenja radioaktivnosti letećeg pepela u termoelektrani Nikola Tesla B (TENT B) u Obrenovcu. Uporedno su prikazani podaci o sadržaju prirodnih radionuklida u uglju koji se sagoreva u kotlovima TENT B poreklom iz kolubarskog basena i pepelu koji nastaje prilikom sagorevanja uglja. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata o sadržaju prirodnih radionuklida zaključuje se da se pepeo iz termoelektrane Nikola Tesla B može odlagati u životnu sredinu. Pepeo se može koristiti i u građevinarstvu, u niskogradnji. Kod primene u visokoj gradnji udeo pepela kao dodataka drugim građevinskim materijalima zavisi kako od njegovih fizičkih i hemijskih karakteristika, tako i od specifične aktivnosti 226Ra, 232Th i 40K

Trajectories of humoral and cellular immunity and responses to a third dose of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with a history of anti-CD20 therapy.

BACKGROUND The majority of patients with B-cell-depleting therapies show compromised vaccination-induced immune responses. Herein, we report on the trajectories of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in patients of the RituxiVac study compared with healthy volunteers and investigate the immunogenicity of a third vaccination in previously humoral non-responding patients. METHODS We investigated the humoral and cell-mediated immune response after SARS-CoV-2 messanger RNA vaccination in patients with a history with anti-CD20 therapies. Coprimary outcomes were antispike and SARS-CoV-2-stimulated interferon-γ concentrations in vaccine responders 4.3 months (median; IQR: 3.6-4.8 months) after first evaluation, and humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) after a third vaccine dose in previous humoral non-responders. Immunity decay rates were compared using analysis of covariance in linear regression. RESULTS 5.6 months (IQR: 5.1-6.7) after the second vaccination, we detected antispike IgG in 88% (29/33) and CMI in 44% (14/32) of patients with a humoral response after two-dose vaccination compared with 92% (24/26) healthy volunteers with antispike IgG and 69% (11/16) with CMI 6.8 months after the second vaccination (IQR: 6.0-7.1). Decay rates of antibody concentrations were comparable between patients and controls (p=0.70). In two-dose non-responders, a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine elicited humoral responses in 19% (6/32) and CMI in 32% (10/31) participants. CONCLUSION This study reveals comparable immunity decay rates between patients with anti-CD20 treatments and healthy volunteers, but inefficient humoral or CMI after a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in most two-dose humoral non-responders calling for individually tailored vaccination strategies in this population.Trial registration numberNCT04877496; ClinicalTrials.gov number

Mouse Cofactor of BRCA1 (Cobra1) Is Required for Early Embryogenesis

Negative elongation factor (NELF) is a four-subunit protein complex conserved from Drosophila to humans. In vitro biochemical and tissue culture-based studies have demonstrated an important role of NELF in controlling RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pausing in transcription. However, the physiological significance of NELF function is not clear due to the lack of any genetic systems for studying NELF.Here we show that disruption of the mouse B subunit of NELF (NELF-B), also known as cofactor of BRCA1 (Cobra1), causes inner cell mass (ICM) deficiency and embryonic lethality at the time of implantation. Consistent with the phenotype of the Cobra1 knockout (KO) embryos, knockdown of Cobra1 in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) reduces the efficiency of colony formation and increases spontaneous differentiation. Cobra1-depleted ESCs maintain normal levels of Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2, master regulators of pluripotency in ESCs. However, knockdown of Cobra1 leads to precocious expression of developmental regulators including lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (Lef1). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) indicates that Cobra1 binds to the Lef1 promoter and modulates the abundance of promoter-bound RNA polymerase.Cobra1 is essential for early embryogenesis. Our findings also indicate that Cobra1 helps maintain the undifferentiated state of mESCs by preventing unscheduled expression of developmental genes

Linking early-life NMDAR hypofunction and oxidative stress in schizophrenia pathogenesis.

Molecular, genetic and pathological evidence suggests that deficits in GABAergic parvalbumin-positive interneurons contribute to schizophrenia pathophysiology through alterations in the brain's excitation-inhibition balance that result in impaired behaviour and cognition. Although the factors that trigger these deficits are diverse, there is increasing evidence that they converge on a common pathological hub that involves NMDA receptor hypofunction and oxidative stress. These factors have been separately linked to schizophrenia pathogenesis, but evidence now suggests that they are mechanistically interdependent and contribute to a common schizophrenia-associated pathology

A Barcode Screen for Epigenetic Regulators Reveals a Role for the NuB4/HAT-B Histone Acetyltransferase Complex in Histone Turnover

Dynamic modification of histone proteins plays a key role in regulating gene expression. However, histones themselves can also be dynamic, which potentially affects the stability of histone modifications. To determine the molecular mechanisms of histone turnover, we developed a parallel screening method for epigenetic regulators by analyzing chromatin states on DNA barcodes. Histone turnover was quantified by employing a genetic pulse-chase technique called RITE, which was combined with chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing. In this screen, the NuB4/HAT-B complex, containing the conserved type B histone acetyltransferase Hat1, was found to promote histone turnover. Unexpectedly, the three members of this complex could be functionally separated from each other as well as from the known interacting factor and histone chaperone Asf1. Thus, systematic and direct interrogation of chromatin structure on DNA barcodes can lead to the discovery of genes and pathways involved in chromatin modification and dynamics