Association between tobacco smoking and pulmonary tuberculosis

Background/Aim. Numerous studies evaluate the influence of tobacco smoking on the tuberculosis (TB) development, with the results indicating that smoking can be also considered as important risk factor in TB. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of tobacco smoking as the risk factor in the development of TB as well as in its clinical course. Methods. We analyzed data from the medical records of 192 consecutively hospitalized TB patients (124 males and 68 females) in the Institute of Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade in the period from 2005 to 2007. Results. Among the analyzed TB patients there were more smokers (63.5%) than nonsmokers (36.5%). The majority of the smokers (73.8%) belonged to a middle age group (35-54 years) while the majority of nonsmokers (64.3%) were older than 55 years. Sex ratio among the smokers showed the domination of males (80.3%). There were significantly more males in the smoking group and more females in the nonsmoking group (χ2 = 34.402, p < 0.0001). Most smokers (68.9%) smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily. The average index of pack/years among all of the examinated patients was 32.75 ± 18.26. Cavitary pulmonary lesions were more frequently verified in the smokers (64.2%) than in the nonsmokers (35.8%). The sputum acid-fast bacillus smear-positive finding was more frequent in the smokers (78%) than in the nonsmokers (22%). The nonsmoking TB patients had more accompanied immunodeficient diseases (34%) than the smoking ones (19%). Body-mass index was lower in the smokers (21.75) than in the nonsmokers (23.80), although this difference did not reach the statistical significance. Conclusion. There are more smokers than nonsmokers in TB patients. Smokers more frequently have cavitary forms of TB with sputum acid-fast bacillus smear - positive finding than nonsmokers

INTEGRAL PRODUCTION OF FRUITS

The importance of introducing Integral concept in fruitgrowing is been revised in this paper.Considering the importance of fruits in Serbias export, it is very important to start introducing Integral concept of fruits production because internation market will sooner or later impose barriers in front of our fruits growers regarding helth safety and fruits quality. Principles of introducing Integral concept of fruits production are given, which if respected, in many regions of our country would anable establishment of production in accordance with this concept. It is suggested to bring certain legislativ measurs and especialy the book of regulations of Integral production of fruits

Risk factors for catheter-related infections in patients on hemodialysis

Background/Aim. Catheter-related infections are a significant morbidity and mortality cause in patients on hemodialysis. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, to analyze risk factors and to identify etiological causes of catheter-related infections in these patients. Methods. The study was carried out at the Clinic for Nephrology and Clinical Immunology of the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, from August, 2012 to May, 2015. One hundred and thirteen patients on chronic hemodialysis participated in the study. The risk factors of catheterrelated infections in the infected patients were to those in the control group, as follows: demographic and laboratory parameters, co-morbidities and the use of immunosuppressive therapy, the length of hemodialysis treatment, urgent catheter placement, the position and placement difficulties, the number of insertions and catheter maneuvering, the existence of permanent vascular access in maturation or without a vascular access in the course of catheter positioning, catheter life, surgical procedures (≤ 30 days from catheter placing), the length of hospitalization and isolated infection causes. Results. One hundred and ninety-seven catheters were placed in 113 patients, among which 182 of them temporary. The total number of catheter days was 17.842, the incidence of infections was 3.53/1,000 catheter days. During the monitoring period, 63 catheter-related infections were diagnosed, 54 (85.7%) with temporary and 9 (14.3%) with permanent catheters. Multivariate logistic regression analysis (with border values/ levels determined by receiver operating characteristic – ROC analysis) determined independent predictors of catheter-related infections in the following order: hemoglobin levels 90 days (p = 0.004), > 2/day catheter maneuvering (p = 0.011) and the duration of hospitalization of > 15 days (p = 0.003). The main pathogen was Staphylococcus spp. Coagulase negative. Conclusion. Intensifying of prevention measures and infection control would significantly reduce the frequency of catheter-related infections and the number of hospitalizations. The timely creation of a native arteriovenous fistula would decrease the use of hemodialysis catheters

Proizvodnja sadnog materijala voćaka

The paper presents the problems in the production of fruit planting material as well as the proposal of measures for die development of mis production. In Serbia and Montenegro there is no development but regression in the technology of planting material production. Mostly standard planting materials and some tested ones are produced. Faster development of fruit production in Yugoslavia and providing conditions for the export of planting material requires significantly different planting material production than the existing one, and it should be done as quickly as possible. Production technologies similar to those applied in the production of planting material in the most advanced fruit-producing countries should be introduced. This would enable our country to join the world market, and to have modem nurseries with planting material that would meet the world standards.Sadašnja proizvodnja sadnog materijala u Srbiji i Crnoj Gori nije u skladu sa proizvodnjom kakva se organizuje u razvijenijim voćarskim zemljama. Zato se postavlja urgentan zadatak da se promeni Zakon o proizvodnji sadnog materijala i usaglasi sa zakonom EU, kako bi se naša zemlja brže uključila na evropsko tržište, i omogućilo joj se podizanje zasada sa sadnim materijalom koji odgovara svetskim standardima

Importance of early detection of lung cancers with initial paraneoplastic manifestations

Introduction. Lung cancers are mostly detected in the developed clinical stages, with clearly manifested pulmonary, extrapulmonary or metastatic manifestations. In the early disease stages, radiographic and clinical manifestations may be absent or mimicked. Objective. The aim of this study was the timely detection of early pulmonary, extrapulmonary and paraneoplastic manifestations of lung cancers in order to apply the most appropriate treatment protocols. Methods. We examined 230 patients with lung cancer, among them 125 of the working study group with minimal pulmonary and/or initial paraneoplastic symptoms, and 105 patients in the control group with clear tumour manifestations. Results. The symptom analysis revealed a statistically significantly lesser presence of the respiratory symptoms in the working study group (68%) in comparison with the control group of patients (97%) (c2=29.996; p<0.001). The analysis of radiographic presentations of lung cancer showed that there were significantly more patients with normal findings in the working group (6.4%) than in the control group - 1.9% (p>0.05), and a positive bronchoscopic finding of the centrally localized tumour (mainly right upper lobe) was confirmed in patients of both groups with normal radiographic findings. The number of diagnosed patients in earlier clinical disease stages (I, II, IIIa) with better prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer was significantly higher (c2=19.149; p<0.001) in the working group (71.1%) in comparison with the control group (38.1%). Small cell lung cancer was more frequently diagnosed in the stage of limited disease in the working (80%) than in the control group (38.1%) (c2=10.039; p<0.05). With regard to treatment administration, there is a statistically significant difference (c2=4.013; p=0.0452) in the frequency between the use of chemotherapy and highly significant difference (c2=22.044; p<0.001) in the frequency of use of surgical treatment in the working group in comparison with the control group - both chemotherapy and surgery treatment were more frequent in the patients of the working group. Conclusion. Recognizing the initial pulmonary, extrapulmonary or paraneoplastic manifestations as well as performing diagnostic procedures in due time represent the most important guidelines in early detection and the most efficacious therapeutic choice in lung cancer

Synthesis of Aliphatic Esters of Cinnamic Acid as Potential Lipophilic Antioxidants Catalyzed by Lipase B from Candida antarctica

Immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozyme 435) was tested for the synthesis of various phenolic acid esters (ethyl and n-butyl cinnamate, ethyl p-coumarate and n-butyl p-methoxycinnamate). The second-order kinetic model was used to mathematically describe the reaction kinetics and to compare present processes quantitatively. It was found that the model agreed well with the experimental data. Further, the effect of alcohol type on the esterification of cinnamic acid was investigated. The immobilized lipase showed more ability to catalyze the synthesis of butyl cinnamate. Therefore, the process was optimized for the synthesis of butyl cinnamate as a function of solvent polarity (logP) and amount of biocatalyst. The highest ester yield of 60.7 % was obtained for the highest enzyme concentration tested (3 % w/w), but the productivity was for 34 % lower than the corresponding value obtained for the enzyme concentration of 1 % (w/w). The synthesized esters were purified, identified, and screened for antioxidant activities. Both DPPH assay and cyclic voltammetry measurement have shown that cinnamic acid esters have better antioxidant properties than cinnamic acid itself

Integralni i biološki koncept proizvodnje voća i grožđa

Ekološki najprihvatljiviji put ostvarenja ciljeva integralne proizvodnje voća je stvaranje i uvođenje u proizvodnju novih sorti koje imaju genetsku otpornost prema patogenima. To znači da biljka produktima svoga metabolizma sprečava patogena da izvrši infekciju i da se uspešno razvija. Takav pristup zaštitu biljaka hemijskim putem svodi na vrlo malu meru, proizvodnja postaje jeftinija, hranidbena vrednost plodova visoka a životna sredina čistiji. Predmet istraživanja su kontinentalne voćne vrste: jabuka, breskva, kajsija, orah, leska i vinova loza