Fragmenti zidnog slikarstva sa termi iz Viminacijuma

Sistematska arheološka iskopavanja termi na Viminacijumu dopunjuju naša saznanja o životu antičkog grada. Novac nađen u pristoriji 1 i 2, datuje mlađu fazu termi iz druge polovine III veka, kada je objekat proširen dodavanjem novih bazena i pomoćnih prostorija. Ostaci zidnog slikarstva otkriveni u prostoriji 1 sugerišu način unutrašnjeg dekorisanja javnih zgrada. Konzervatorskim postupkom pojedini fragmenti su postavljeni na novi malterni nosač. Sačuvane ostatke fresaka nije bilo moguće potpuno rekonstruisati, već samo stabilizovati i od njih napraviti više prenosivih eksponata

Correlation between Functional Independence and Quality of Executive Functions in Stroke Patients

Objective: The rehabilitation of stroke patients is complex. It is believed that there is a correlation between the quality of functional independence and degree of preserved executive and cognitive functions. The aim of this work was to investigate potential correlations between the quality of executive and cognitive functions and the achieved level of functional independence during the rehabilitation of stroke patients. Material and Methods: The study included 50 stroke patients evaluated during rehabilitation and 50 beneficiaries of the Gerontology Center as control subjects randomly chosen, with no diagnosed neurological damage. The following tests were used: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for executive function assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive screening, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) test for functional independence assessment. The statistical analyses included the Mann-Whitney U test for comparisons between two independent samples, canonical correlation analysis, and.2-test. Results: Our results show a statistically significant difference in all assessed functions between the two groups (p lt .001). Furthermore, we show a positive correlation between executive functions and achieved functional independence in stroke patients (p lt .001). Moreover, a positive correlation exists between cognitive functions and level of functional independence in stroke patients. Conclusion: Our results show that stroke patients with lower executive function scores achieve less functional independence. Stroke patients with existing cognitive impairment achieve less functional independence in all domains compared with stroke patients without cognitive impairment

Stability of carotenoids in pumpkin during the different heat treatments

Pumpkin contains a high content of carotenoids, the majority of which are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and violaxanthin. The main beneficial effect of carotenoids derives from their antioxidant activity, i.e. protecting cells against the harmful effects of free radicals. The aim of this study was to determine the content of total pumpkin carotenoids during cooking, baking in oven and a microwave oven to examine how different heat treatments affect on the stability of the carotenoids. The standard spectrophotometric method was used to determine the content of total carotenoids, measuring the absorbance of extracted samples at a wavelength of 445 nm. Samples were extracted by petrolether. According to the obtained results, the highest content of carotenoids was in fresh pumpkin (172,93 μg/g dry matter), then in a pumpkin baked in the oven (66,63 μg/g dry matter), then in a pumpkin baked in microwave oven (65,97 μg/g dry matter) and the lowest content of total carotenoids was determined in cooked pumpkin (54,42 μg/g dry matter). These results indicated that different heat treatments were significantly affected on the stability of carotenoids in pumpkin. The higher losses were during cooking, while the losses of baking in the oven and microwave oven were similar

Medicinal and aromatic herbs as functional ingredients for specialty beverages

INTRODUCTION: The quest for foods that have a health-promoting impact began many years ago as a functional food. Nowadays, the varieties of food products and food ingredients are more about how they impact the health and well-being of consumers. Throughout history, herbs have been used to add taste and/or preservation to foods. The creative use of herbs can make food much more enjoyable, and not less healthy. Various herbal infusions can be added to beverage compositions to increase nutritional qualities and health benefits while maintaining a sensory and pleasant balance throughout the fortification process. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the study was to develop and manufacture specialty drinks made from fruit juices and extracts of medicinal and aromatic plants that had a high concentration of biologically active chemicals and a high antioxidant activity. Three types of soft drinks have been developed: those with potentially targeted physiologically beneficial effects on metabolism, cardiovascular system, and body resistance, as well as those with medicinal and aromatic herbs whose positive healing effects have already been documented in previous research. METHOD / DESIGN: Fruit juices were made by mechanically processing mature fruits, that have not been fermented and have been preserved only via physical methods. The plant material was dried in ambient conditions and ground shortly before extraction. A single percolation method was used to create liquid plant extracts. Extracts of medicinal and aromatic herbs were mixed in combinations with specific functional characteristics sensory acceptable and compatible with fruit blends. Total flavonoid content, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity were determined. RESULTS: Plant extracts and fruit juices were first classified in terms of total phenols, and their antioxidant activity was assessed using the FRAP and DPPH tests. The total antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP assay and the antioxidant activity determined by the DPPH test were correlated with the total phenol content. The number of phenolic compounds in tested herbal extracts and fruit juices differs significantly at the level of statistical significance of p 0.05. Given that antioxidant activity is directly proportional to phenolic component concentration, the FRAP and DPPH test both demonstrated statistically significant antioxidant activity. CONCLUSIONS: For the production of specialty beverages with targeted effects on accelerating metabolism, protection of the cardiovascular system, and strengthening the body’s resistance. While it is evident that a wide range of medicinal and aromatic plants may be utilized to improve the functional and sensory characteristics of beverages, the results are often not favorable. Blending various medicinal and aromatic herbs can provide a remedy, specialty beverage. The most essential issue is to select the best plant composition so that maximum functional characteristics may be balanced with pleasant sensory features

GLYCOSIDE HYDROLASES FROM FRESHWATER FISH GILL MICROBIOTA AS BIOFILM INHIBITORS FOR ENHANCED FOOD SAFETY

The formation of biofilms by foodborne pathogens is a constant challenge in the food industry, leading to an increased risk of contamination and compromising food safety. Many of the chemicals commonly used for sanitation in the food industry are unable to remove biofilms, are harmful to surfaces and can be toxic. The effectiveness of disinfectants can be improved using enzymes that specifically target biofilm components such as exopolysaccharides, extracellular DNA, or proteins. In this study we investigated the potential of glycoside hydrolases originating from the gill microbiota of freshwater fish to control biofilm formation in the most common foodborne pathogens. We demonstrated that β-glucosidase from Microbacterium sp. BG28 (BglB-BG28) effectively inhibits cellulose-rich biofilms formed by Salmonella enteritidis, S. typhimurium, S. infantis, and Escherichia coli. When these bacteria were cultivated overnight with 200 μL/mL enzyme, up to 80% less biofilm was formed. By fluorescence microscopy, we visualised the inhibition of biofilms on plastic, glass and aluminium, materials commonly used in the food industry. When used as a pre-treatment, BglB-BG28 increased the bactericidal efficacy of Oxicid®S, a commercially available surface disinfectant. Its effectiveness at temperatures up to 50 °C and in a pH range from 4 to 8 together with compatibility with non-ionic detergents and high tolerance to sodium chloride and glucose give BglB-BG28 advantages in harsh and diverse industrial environments. Importantly, no toxicity to Caenorhabditis elegans was observed at enzyme concentrations of up to 1 mg/ml. Overall, these results demonstrate the suitability of the β-glucosidase BglB-BG28 for the formulation of a novel enzyme-based disinfectant to be used in food processing facilities.Book of abstract: From biotechnology to human and planetary health XIII congress of microbiologists of Serbia with international participation Mikromed regio 5, ums series 24: 4th – 6th april 2024, Mona Plaza hotel, Belgrade, Serbi

The impact of social support on the quality of life of the elderly from rural areas

© 2019, Serbian Medical Society. All rights reserved. Objective. The purpose of this article is to explore social support influence on the quality of life of elderly people from rural areas and to examine whether there are differences between the quality of life of the old people living in the family and those who live alone. Methods. An epidemiological observation study was performed, and it was a cross section study. The sample consisted of 110 subjects. Berlin Social Support scale was used with the aim to measure social support, and to assess the quality of life a 10-point Likert scale was used. Normal K-K Plot and histogram graphs were used to test the agreement of the sample distributions with the normal distribution, as well as the tests: Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk. The Kruskal Wallis and Wilkisson test sum scores were used to test for differences in overall social support and the quality of life. Results. All social support parameters affect life satisfaction. These differences are statistically significant (p<0.05), which was also shown by Spirman's correlation. Respondents who rated the relationships with housemates as excellent had the highest average grade of satisfaction with life (7.38), while those who rated these relationships as horrible had the lowest average grade of satisfaction with life (1.57). Frequent contacts with close relatives and friends on a weekly basis correlate with a greater life satisfaction degree. Conclusion. It can be concluded that the index of total social support and all of its subgroups correlate with subjective life satisfaction of elders

Inhibition of Salmonella Enteritidis adhesion and biofilm formation by β-glucosidase B from Microbacterium sp. BG28

SalmonellaEnteritidis is the most commonly reported pathogen for foodborne illness outbreaks in both underdeveloped and developed regions. S. Enteritidis biofilms, which form on various food contact surfaces, are resistant to conventional physical and chemical cleaning and disinfection procedures routinely used in food processing. The aim of this study was to identify novel, industrially applicable enzymes that are active against S. Enteritidis biofilms. We describe the properties and anti-biofilm activity of heterologously expressed β-glucosidase B derived from the environmental strain Microbacterium sp. BG28 (BglB-BG28) collected from gills of bream fish. The enzyme inhibited adhesion and the early stages of biofilm formation in clinical isolates of S. Enteritidis. At a concentration of 200 μg/mL, BglB-BG28 effectively reduced biofilm formation, by decreasing biofilm biomass by 50% and metabolic activity within biofilms by 80%. The enzyme reduced the formation of air-liquid biofilms on various surfaces, including plastic, glass and metal, as observed by fluorescence microscopy. BglB-BG28 inhibited biofilm formation in Escherichia coli, another important food pathogen that also forms cellulose-rich biofilms. Using o-NPG as substrate, the enzyme showed activity at temperatures up to 50 °C and in a pH range between 4 and 8, high tolerance to sodium chloride and glucose, and compatibility with nonionic detergents. Importantly, no toxicity was observed in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans even at an enzyme concentration of 1 mg/mL. These results suggest that the β-glucosidase BglB-BG28 is a promising candidate for the development of a new enzyme-based disinfection protocol that can be used in food processing facilities.This is the peer reviewed version of the paper: Atanaskovic, M., Moric, I., Rokic, M. B., Djokic, A., Pantovic, J., Despotović, D., & Senerovic, L. (2024). Inhibition of Salmonella Enteritidis adhesion and biofilm formation by β-glucosidase B from Microbacterium sp. BG28. Food Bioscience, 57, 103543. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2023.103543

Tehnološki postupak za poboljšanje kvaliteta pivskog tropa kao hraniva za preživare

Predloženo tehničko rešenje se odnosi na definisanje procesa u kome se koristi sporedni proizvod industrije piva i dobija novi proizvod obogaćen probiotskom biomasom koji je namenjen ishrani preživara. Tehnološki postupak podrazumeva primenu pivskog tropa kao nosača za imobilizaciju bakterija mlečne kiseline. Soj Lactobacillus paracasei NRRL B-4564 je imobilisan na površinu pivskog tropa, a dobijeni imobilizat je potom korišćen u mlečno-kiselinskoj fermentaciji sa recirkulacijom imobilisane mikrobne biomase u više uzastopnih 18 šaržnih ciklusa. Primenom kontrolisanog procesa dobijen je fermentisani pivski trop koji predstavlja proizvod boljeg nutritivnog kvaliteta (većeg sadržaja proteina i pepela, manjeg sadržaja svih frakcija vlakana), veće energetske vrednosti i bolje svarljivosti u odnosu na polaznu sirovinu. Pored boljih parametara kvaliteta, dobijeni fermentisani proizvod je obogaćen visokom koncentracijom vijabilne probiotske biomase Lactobacillus paracasei NRRL B-4564. Primenom opisanog tehnološkog postupka je omogućeno stvaranje dodatne vrednosti sporednog proizvoda industrije piva.Tehničko rešenje kategorije M81 - novo tehničko rešenja primenjeno na međunarodnom nivo

Environmental Photocatalytic Degradation of Antidepressants with Solar Radiation: Kinetics, Mineralization, and Toxicity

This work is focused on the kinetics, mineralization, and toxicological assessments of the antidepressant drug amitriptyline hydrochloride (AMI) in UV or solar illuminated aqueous suspensions of ZnO, TiO2 Degussa P25, and TiO2 Hombikat. ZnO was proven to be the most effective photocatalyst, and it was used for all further experiments under solar irradiation. The highest reaction rate was observed at 1.0 mg/mL of catalyst loading. In the investigated initial concentration range (0.0075–0.3000 mmol/L), the degradation rate of AMI increased with the increase of initial concentration in the investigated range. The effects of H2O2, (NH4)2S2O8, and KBrO3, acting as electron acceptors, along with molecular oxygen were also studied. By studying the effects of ethanol and NaI as a hydroxyl radical and hole scavenger, respectively, it was shown that the heterogeneous catalysis takes place mainly via free hydroxyl radicals. In the mineralization study, AMI photocatalytic degradation resulted in ~30% of total organic carbon (TOC) decrease after 240 min of irradiation; acetate and formate were produced as the organic intermediates; NH4+, NO3−, NO2− ions were detected as nitrogen byproducts. Toxicity assessment using different mammalian cell lines, showed that H-4-II-E was the most sensitive one

Influence of zirconium and copper sub-layer in cell integrations on femtosecond laser-processed Ti thin films

The creation of novel biocompatible Ti-based thin films with a Zr or Cu sub-layer modified by ultrafast laser processing is studied. To prepare bioactive surfaces, ultrafast laser processing is focused on the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) with the production of oxide phases at the surfaces. Two differently designed multilayer thin films Ti/Cu/Ti and Ti/Zr/Ti were deposited on the silicon using the ion sputtering method. The Ti thin film contains Cu or Zr sub-layer (thickness of 10 nm) at the 10 nm below the surface. The composition and surface morphology variations for these systems, deposited and laser-processed under the same experimental conditions, were caused only by different thermo-physical properties of the sub-layer (Cu or Zr). The surface morphology in the form of LIPSS, led to improved cell adhesion and stable cells/thin films interface compared to as-deposited samples. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and MTT analysis revealed that laser processing of both systems increased cell adhesion, proliferation, and metabolical activity of L929 mouse fibroblast cells compared to non-modified flat surfaces. Overall, the biocompatibility of Zrcontaining thin films is better than Ti/Cu/Ti system. Further, laser processing and formation of LIPSS makes Ti/Zr/Ti thin films excellent candidate for biomedica