The ECJ and Judicial Activism

The imprint of the European Court of Justice on the European Integration has been historical. The sole purpose of the Court‘s establishment was aimed at faithful interpretations of the legal texts; nevertheless, over the years, the Court has broadened the scope of its authority, and has become an important institutional player of the Union. Under the Court‘s agency, the legal facia of the European Union has changed drastically, and so has the direction of the integrative process. The Court‘s innovative and creative interpretations of the Treaties have allowed it to introduce the most revolutionary legal concepts, some of them being the doctrine of direct affect and the supremacy rule. With the introduction of these legal concepts, the legal system of the Union has acquired a constitutional dimension while the Union itself has become a political phenomenon with an unprecedented character. On the way to consolidate the legal system of the European Union, the Court has not manoeuvred alone. Other institutional agents have contributed to the creation of the project as we know it today. In the light of these facts, the author of the project at hand explores the influential work of the European Court of Justice, while taking into consideration structural/functional means, motives and opportunities available to Court to exercise its authority. Also, the author dedicates time to delving on the special relationships established with other institutional actors while consulting theoretical accounts of the same. Ultimately, the essay attempts to contribute to the body of scholarship making assumptions about the role that the ECJ has played in Europe‘s integrative process

Surgical stress response following hip arthroplasty regarding choice of anesthesia and postoperative analgesia

© 2017, Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All Rights Reserved. Background/Aim. Significant surgical stress response consisting of hormonal, metabolic and inflammatory changes can be initiated by the hip replacement surgery. Appropriate choice of anesthesia and postoperative analgesia should provide diminution of surgical stress response and may reduce number of perioperative complica-tions. Surgical stress response after peripheral nerve blocks has not been studied extensively in patients who underwent hip replace-ment. The aim of the study was to investigate whether continuous lumbar plexus block can significantly reduce surgical stress re-sponse in comparison to other types of postoperative analgesia – continuous epidural analgesia and intravenous patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine. Methods. Prospective study in-cluded 60 patients, scheduled for total hip arthroplasty. The pa-tients were randomized into 4 groups: group CNB (central nerve block - epidural), group PNB (Peripheral nerve block - lumbar plexus block), SAM (Spinal anesthesia- PCA (anesthesia) mor-phine) and GAM (General anesthesia + PCA with Morphine). Se-rum levels of cortisol, thyroid hormones (T3, T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), insulin, glucose and C-reactive pro-tein (CRP) were measured in all groups – preoperatively, as well as 4 h, 12 h and 24 h after surgery. Results. The study showed that average serum cortisol levels were significantly lower 4 h after the operation in the groups where methods of regional anesthesia were performed intraoperatively (SAM, CNB, PNB); (F = 19.867; p < 0.01). Groups with postoperative continuous catheter analgesia (CNB, PNB) had significantly lower serum cortisol levels 12 h after the operation (F = 8.050; p < 0.01). The highest serum insulin levels were detected 4 h postoperatively in the CNB and PNB group, while the lowest were in the GAM group (F = 5.811; p < 0.05). Twelve hours after the operation, the lowest values of insulin were measured in the SAM group (F = 5.052; p < 0.05), while 24 h postoperatively, the lowest values were found in the SAM and GAM group (F = 6.394; p < 0.05). T3, T4 and TSH levels showed slight reduction in comparison to preoperative values without sta-tistical significance. Blood glucose levels were significantly different among the groups 4 h after surgery with the highest values re-corded in the GAM group and the lowest ones in the SAM group (F = 10.084; p < 0.01). On the other hand, 12 h after the operation significant rise in blood glucose levels was detected in the SAM group (F = 7.186; p < 0.01) Levels of CRP increased remarkably 12 h and 24 h after the surgery, but without significant difference among the groups. Conclusion. Administration of postoperative analgesia using continuous lumbar plexus block following hip ar-throplasty reduces significantly stress response in comparison to postoperative PCA with morphine and has comparable effects on hormone release to epidural analgesia. Spinal anesthesia provides the best diminution of surgical stress response in the early postoperative period in comparison with other types of intraoperative analgesia

THE INFLUENCE OF THE ANTHROPOGENIC FACTOR ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF CODLING MOTH NATURAL ENEMIES

The human role in bioecological examinations of codling moths is of crucial importance for the integral protection of pome fruit and the production of healthy and safe food. The codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.) is one of the most significant apple pests in terms of causing the diminished yield and poorer fruit quality in apples. As such, the codling moth requires daily monitoring by agricultural producers. The aim of this research was defined by the need for establishing the presence of codling moth natural enemies and the estimation of their codependence in apple plantations with various methods of protection. The examinations were carried out on the territory of Southern Serbia from 2005 to 2008. During the research, the standard entomological methods, such as pheromone traps, branch beating and placing bands around tree trunks, were used to track the presence, number and population dynamics of the codling moth and its natural enemies. The research results revealed the dominant role that the anthropogenic factor has in many segments of the integral apple protection and the production of high-quality apple fruit. Faunistic researches are inevitable for the correct determination of human actions, due to the clear composition of autochthonous natural enemies of the codling moth. The natural enemies of the codling moth whose presence was determined during the research belong to the following orders: Hymenoptera, Diptera, Dermaptera, Neuroptera, Coleoptera and Heteroptera. The analysis that has examined the human influence on the autochthonous natural enemies of the codling moth also contributes to the preservation of biodiversity and agrobiocenosis, as well as to the production of high-quality, safe food

Neonatal outcome following exposure to organophosphorous pesticides

The aim of our study was to determine the neonatal outcome in mothers and children exposed to organophosphorous pesticides (OP). We found that 22.4% pregnant women were exposed to organophosphorous pesticides. OP pesticide concentration was higher in breast milk, newborn sera than maternal sera. Newborn parameters such as birth weight, birth length, head circumference, Apgar score and presence of meconium, as well as gestational age of delivery, showed no significant difference between the two groups. However, postpartum weight loss, hospitalization duration, levels of newborn bilirubin and glycaemia differed significantly between the two groups. Morbidity and presence of CNS disorders were six times and more than twelve times higher, respectively, in the OP-exposed than in the OP pesticide non-exposed group

Sex dimorphism of postural parameters of the human acetabulum

The aim of this investigation was to examine normal acetabular morphometry, its sex dimorphism and the acetabular dysplasia rate in Serbian adults. For each hip, the centre-edge angle of Wiberg, the acetabular angle of Sharp, acetabular depth and acetabular roof obliquity were measured. The center-edge angle of Wiberg correlated negatively with the acetabular angle of Sharp and acetabular roof obliquity, but positively correlated with acetabular depth. Our results suggest that the prevalence of acetabular dysplasia in the Serbian population is lower than in Western countries. We confirmed the existence of significant gender differences in acetabular morphology among the subjects of our study. These sex-related differences in acetabular morphology were the cause for more dysplastic female acetabula compared with male acetabula

Dinamika zajednica ukupnih koliformnih i fekalnih koliformnih bakterija u novoizgrađenim lagunama za prečišćavanje vode

Konstruisani vetlandi se koriste za prečišćavanje otpadnih voda zbog svoje efikasnosti, isplativosti izrade sistema i pozitivnog uticaja na životnu sredinu. Fekalne koliformne bakterije predstavljaju indikatore zagađenja voda jer ukazuju na potencijalno prisustvo patogenih mikrooganizama kao i drugih zagađujućih materija, a dospevaju u vodene ekosisteme direktno iz kanalizacionih sistema, ali i difuznih humanih i životinjskih otpadnih materija. Zbog toga je ovo istraživanje usmereno na praćenje dinamike preživljavanja ukupnih koliformnih i fekalnih bakterija u otvorenom površinskom konstruisanom vetlandu sa emerznom vegetacijom. Preživljavanje mikroorganizama, kao i njihova distribucija u vetlandima, zavisi od tipa vetlanda, ali i drugih ekoloških pojava koje utiču na njihov razvoj, gubitke i uništenje. U pogledu prečišćavanja otpadnih voda, vetlandi imaju učinak kao biofilteri, jer se u njima kombinovanjem fizičkih, hemijskih i bioloških procesa vrši uklanjanje kontaminanata. Fekalne koliformne bakterije se vezuju za suspendovane čestice, koje se zadržavaju na biljkama iz vetlanda i po njihovoj žetvi se zajedno sa biljkama uklanjaju iz sistema. U ovoj studiji je ispitivana efikasnost novoizgrađenog vetlanda, koji se nalazi na istraživačkom poligonu “Mali Dunav” u Centru za ribarstvo i primenjenu hidrobiologiju (CEFAH) Poljoprivrednog fakulteta, Univerziteta u Beogradu, fakultetskog dobra “Radmilovac”. U tu svrhu je konstruisan vetland koji se sastoji iz jedne ulazne lagune, namenjene za predtretman vode i još dva bazena, u kojima se prirodno tretira površinska otpadna voda i otpadna voda iz domaćinstava. U ovom radu ispitivane su vrednosti ukupnih i fekalnih koliformnih bakterija, petodnevna biohemijska potrošnja kiseonika (BPK5), i ukupne suspendovane materije. Istraživanje je započeto u martu 2012.godine i završilo se u februaru 2013.godine. Za praćenje indikatorskih organizama, kao što su ukupne i fekalne koliformne bakterije korišćene su standardne mikrobiološke metode uzorkovanja i tretiranja uzoraka u laboratoriji. Tokom jednogodišnjeg perioda praćenja parametara na mesečnoj bazi, vrednosti BPK5 su varirale od 15 mg/L do 52 mg/l, a vrednosti TSS od 2.0 mg/L do 89.6 mg/L. Na godišnjem nivou prosečne vrednosti ovih parametara nisu prelazile propisani limit. Mesečno opterećenje sistema sa ukupnim koliformnim bakterijama se kretalo od 5.0×102 CFU/ml do 5.19×105 CFU/ml, a opterećenje fekalnim koliformnim bakterijama je variralo od 5.0×101 CFU/ml do 1.4×103 CFU/ml. Prosečna godišnja vrednost opterećenja sistema ukupnim koliformnim bakterijama je iznosila 9.93×103 CFU/ml, a fekalnim koliformnim 4.05×103 CFU/ml. Na kraju perioda ispitivanja prosečna vrednost ukupnih koliformnih bakterija u efluentu je umanjena za 50%, a prosečna vrednost fekalnih koliformnih bakterija za isti period je redukovana za 97%. Smanjenje brojnosti fekalnih koliformnih bakterija ukazuje da je primena konstruisanih vetlanda opravdana za korišćenje u svrhe obuhvaćene ovim istraživanjem. Radi dodatnog poboljšanja efikasnosti rada vetlanda potrebno je primeniti neke od sledećih mera: povećati raznovrsnost emerzne vegetacije, formirati dodatne ćelije kojima će se poboljšati hidraulički proticaj u vetlandu, da bi se dostigle još niže vrednosti fekalnih koliformnih bakterija u efluentu

Sezonska varijabilnost i diverzitet cladocera (crustacea) u lagunama za prirodno prečišćavanje otpadnih voda iz domaćinstava

Cladocera predstavljaju najznačajniju komponentu zajednice zooplanktona u većini stajaćih slatkovodnih ekosistema. Kao filtratori, hrane se algama, bakterijama, protozoama i organskim česticama, koje obiluju u netretiranim otpadnim vodama iz domaćinstava. Krupne Cladocera se proteklih decenija uveliko primenjuju u biomanipulaciji kao biološko sredstvo za prečišćavanje organski opterećenih otpadnih voda i smanjenje primarne produkcije u vodenim ekosistemima. Istraživanje predstavljeno u ovom radu realizovano je na istraživačkom poligonu “Mali Dunav” Centra za ribarstvo i primenjenu hidrobiologiju, Poljoprivrednog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu. U tri lagune, namenski napravljene na potoku Šugavac za prirodno prečišćavanje kanalizacionih voda poreklom iz uzvodno lociranog naselja, obavljeno je ispitivanje sastava i brojnosti zajednice zooplanktona. Pored bioloških ispitivanja, praćeni su hemijski parametri kvaliteta vode u trajanju od godinu dana, posmatranih kroz 4 perioda od po tri meseca. Istraživanje je sprovedeno sa ciljem ispitivanja dinamike populacije Cladocera u organski visoko zagađenim, plitkim, stajaćim vodenim ekosistemima i mogućnosti opstanka vrste Daphnia obtusa u datim uslovima sredine. Prema parametrima kvaliteta vode, lagune su se značajno razlikovale samo u pogledu prosečnih vrednosti pH i rastvorenog kiseonika. Diverzitet Cladocera tokom jednogodišnjeg perioda istraživanja bio je relativno visok obzirom na smanjen kvalitet vode, sa ukupno 9 identifikovanih vrsta. Kruskal-Wallis test pokazao je da između laguna ne postoji statistički značajna razlika u ukupnoj brojnosti vrsta tokom perioda ispitivanja. Međutim, ukupna brojnost i diverzitet značajno su se razlikovali u svakoj laguni u zavisnosti od perioda posmatranja, što ukazuje na izražena sezonalna variranja u pogledu kvalitativnog i kvantitativnog sastava zajednice. Ova sezonska varijabilnost ogleda se u maloj brojnosti i potpunoj dominaciji sitne vrste Chydorus sphaericus tokom prvog perioda posmatranja (od kraja februara do sredine maja 2012.), praćenoj povećanjem brojnosti i diverziteta vrsta u drugom periodu (od sredine maja do sredine avgusta 2012) i dominaciji krupne vrste Daphnia obtusa u trećem periodu (od sredine avgusta do kraja novembra 2012.), čija je brojnost ponovo opala nakon dostizanja letnjeg maksimuma, uz ponovno pojavljivanje C. sphaericus u četvrtom periodu (od decembra 2012. do kraja februara 2013. godine). Vrsta koja je na svim tačkama na kojima je obavljeno ispitivanje dostigla najveću brojnost bila je Daphnia obtusa. Njeno prisustvo tipično je za vodene ekosisteme u kojima odsustvuju ribe kao predatori (Vadstein, 1993). Kruskal-Wallis test nije pokazao statistički značajne razlike u brojnosti ove vrste između laguna tokom jednogodišnjeg perioda istraživanja, dok su u svim lagunama utvrđene statistički značajne razlike u brojnosti posmatrane u različitim periodima. Rezultati pokazuju da je D. obtusa bila dominantna vrsta zooplanktona u lagunama (dostižući prosečnu maksimalnu brojnost od 1083 - 1444 ind/l tokom perioda ispitivanja), veoma tolerantna na niske vrednosti rastvorenog kiseonika (u proseku 0.32 – 6.90 mg/l) i visoko organsko opterećenje (BOD 26.65 – 33.09 mg/l)

Immune Response in Severe Infection: Could Life-Saving Drugs Be Potentially Harmful?

Critically ill patients suffer a high rate of nosocomial infection with secondary sepsis being a common cause of death. Usage of antibiotics and catecholamines is often necessary, but it can compromise complex immune response to infection. This review explores influence of these life-saving drugs on host immune response to severe infection

MONITORING OF IMMUNE RESPONSE IN VIROLOGIC SUCCESSFULLY TREATED HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS IN SOUTHEASTERN SERBIA

The number of CD4 lymphocytes defines the evolutional stage of HIV-infection and is the most important for a reliable estimation of the individual risk of developing AIDS. However, it is difficult to predict the degree of immune reconstitution during antiretroviral therapy, as it varies significantly from one person to another. Further investigations to better understand the limitations of immunological success are necessary to improve the response to treatment and regimen durability. The current study includes HIV-infected patients in Southeastern Serbia with achieved virologic suppression of HIV infection. The CD4 count was determined by flow cytometry, and was correlated with the duration of treatment, initial number of CD4 cells, type of antiretroviral therapy, mode of transmission of infection, age and gender of examinees. The resulting arithmetic mean and standard deviation of CD4 number was 473±259 cells/µl (range, 1130 cells/µl). There was no statistically significant correlation between the values of CD4 count and length of treatment, stage of the infection at which the therapy was started, treatment profile, method of infection, age or gender. The obtained results are comparable with the existing studies that follow immunological response to antiretroviral therapy and primarily point out the issue of substantial individual response variability, which has not yet been fully elucidated