Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome as a tool for studying neurodevelopmental disorders

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disability (ID),schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, are caused by the alterationsin early brain development. They affect approximately 4% of the European population and represent a high socio-economic impact and financial burden. Treatments of NDDs are focused on symptoms since molecular mechanisms underlying NDDs are still unknown. One of the syndromes with a high risk for NDDs is 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS) caused by microdeletion 22q11.2. 22q11.2 microdeletion is the most common microdeletion in humans; it is one of the strongest known risk factorsfor development of psychiatric illness and the highest known genetic risk for schizophrenia (approximately, 25% of patients with 22q11.2DS develop schizophrenia compared to 1% in the general population). Methods: Genomic and clinical findings in 35 patients with 22q11.2DS were analyzed and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with 22q11.2DS and healthy controls were reprogrammed. Results: The majority of patients have 3 Mb deletion and nine of them have inherited 22q11.2 microdeletion from parents. Twenty-one different clinical presentations are revealed in the cohort with developmental delay detected in about 50% of patients. iPSCs were generated from four patients with 22q11.2 microdeletion and five healthy controls. Conclusion: Cohort of patients with 22q11.2DS isform and iPSCs were generated which enable research of molecular mechanisms underlying NDDs

Homicides between heterosexual intimates: Criminological and victimological characteristics

In this paper the problem of homicidal violence between heterosexual intimates is analyzed, and the need for its treatment as a specific criminological issue denoted, having in mind many of its distinctive etiological and victimological dimensions. The presented findings of an empirical research on intimate homicides committed in Belgrade from 1985 to 1993 allowed for a testing of some hypotheses related to the factors of homicidal criminalization and victimization within the context of the intimate heterosexual relationships. The evidence on history and dynamics of deeply disturbed intimate relations, as well as some typical characteristics of male intimate partners in violent heterosexual relationships, are particularly considered. On the bases of research findings, it seems possible that the plausible preventive strategies can be developed

David Garland: The Culture of control: Crime and social order in contemporary society, Oxford University Press (paperback edition), 2002

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Euthanasia and ethical dillemas: Human dignity against sanctity of life

The paper analyses ethical dilemmas and conflicting issues tied to euthanasia and the institutionalization of the right to a dignified death, viewed through a prism of arguments in favour of and against euthanasia, solutions of comparative law and the practice of the European Council and The European Court of Human Rights in this field, as well as the existing practices of physicians with respect to the implementation of various modalities of euthanasia. At the national lavel, the topic is becoming of interest as the Preliminary Draft of the Civil Code, in essence foresees, that this right can be effectuated in exceptional cases whereby all humane, psycho-social and medical conditions are fulfilled; whilst in a public hearing regarding the proposed solution showed a lack of readiness of the expert public, primarily medical, for radical changes in this field. Taking into consideration that passive euthanasia, whereby an incurable disease is allowed to run its course is widespread in medical practice, and that palliative care cannot provide all dying patients with cumbrous symptoms a peaceful and dignified death, the question of the right to euthanasia should be approached without hypocrisy. Access to euthanasia should be enabled, but under strict conditions, exclusively to individuals that are in the conclusive stages of an incurable illness, where death within a foreseeable time period is inevitable. Conditions and procedures tied to euthanasia should be precisely defined, so as to avoid its misuse and to establish clear rules in terms of physician accountability

Police cynicism in Serbia: prevalence, nature and associations with job satisfaction

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the first research on prevalence, nature and correlates of the police cynicism in Serbia, with particular attention to the associations of cynicism with job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a paper-based survey, and obtained from 472 police officers from five police departments across the country. For the purpose of measuring of organizational and work aspects of police cynicism a new developed 24 five-level Likert-type items scale was used. Findings The results show that cynicism is normally distributed. No statistically significant gender, education or police rank differences were identified, and the length of service does not appear to influence cynical attitudes significantly. Cynicism scores statistically significantly varied across police departments and predicted job dissatisfaction. The underlying four-factor structure of police cynicism was identified. The factors include: general organizational cynicism; cynicism toward police hierarchy/superiors; cynicism toward public/citizen cooperation; and cynicism toward modernization of policing in the crime control field. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of the sample is limited, giving that participants come from only five out of a total of 27 police departments in the country, while the female police officers and officers with education higher than high school were somewhat overrepresented. Originality/value This research provides some more evidence on the nature and determinants of police cynicism that might inspire future research in this important but under-researched area. It implies that the need to explore more deeply relations between police cynicism and stress, burnout and particularly contextual and departmental factors that might be influential to police cynicism. It might also incite future research on the internal structure of police cynicism

Microcystin concentration in fishpond waters

Cyanobacterial blooming is a worldwide problem which sometimes results in cyanotoxin production. Most commonly produced cyanotoxins are microcystins (MCs), potent inhibitors of protein phosphatases. Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is known to be involved in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. In this study, MC concentration was assessed via inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1 assay) in water samples taken from 14 lakes of Mužlja fishpond, Vojvodina, Serbia. During the summer of 2011, cyanobacterial growth occured in the fishpond lakes and small, planktonic crustacean Daphnia sp. was used to control or/and prevent further development of cyanobacteria. Different MC concentrations (calculated as microcystin-LR equivalents) were detected, mostly depending on the occurrence and grazing of Daphnia sp. More thorough monitoring of fishponds should be conducted, both in Serbia and around the world, in order to gain more precise estimation of cyanotoxin concentrations and their accumulation in organisms used for human consumption and thus prevent possible negative health effects. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br.176020

New insights into the origin and the genetic status of the Balkan donkey from Serbia

The Balkan donkey (Equus asinus L.) is commonly regarded as a large-sized, unselected, unstructured and traditionally managed donkey breed. We assessed the current genetic status of the three largest E. asinus populations in the central Balkans (Serbia) by analysing the variability of nuclear microsatellites and the mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region of 77 and 49 individuals respectively. We further analysed our mtDNA dataset along with 209 published mtDNA sequences of ancient and modern individuals from 19 European and African populations to provide new insights into the origin and the history of the Balkan donkey. Serbian donkey populations are highly genetically diverse at both the nuclear and mtDNA levels despite severe population decline. Traditional Balkan donkeys in Serbia are rather heterogeneous; we found two groups of individuals with similar phenotypic features, somewhat distinct nuclear backgrounds and different proportions of mtDNA haplotypes belonging to matrilineal Clades 1 and 2. Another group, characterized by larger body size, different coat colour, distinct nuclear gene pool and predominantly Clade 2 haplotypes, was delineated as the Banat donkey breed. The maternal landscape of the large Balkan donkey population is highly heterogeneous and more complex than previously thought. Given the two independent domestication events in donkeys, multiple waves of introductions into the Balkans from Greece are hypothesized. Clade 2 donkeys probably appeared in Greece prior to those belonging to Clade 1, whereas expansion and diversification of Clade 1 donkeys within the Balkans predated that of Clade 2 donkeys

Detection of phosphatase activity in aquatic and terrestrial cyanobacterial strains

Cyanobacteria, as highly adaptable microorganisms, are characterized by an ability to survive in different environmental conditions, in which a significant role belongs to their enzymes. Phosphatases are enzymes produced by algae in relatively large quantities in response to a low orthophosphate concentration and their activity is significantly correlated with their primary production. The activity of these enzymes was investigated in 11 cyanobacterial strains in order to determine enzyme synthesis depending on taxonomic and ecological group of cyanobacteria. The study was conducted with 4 terrestrial cyanobacterial strains, which belong to Nostoc and Anabaena genera, and 7 filamentous water cyanobacteria of Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Phormidium and Microcystis genera. The obtained results showed that the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases strongly depended on cyanobacterial strain and the environment from which the strain originated. Higher activity of alkaline phosphatases, ranging from 3.64 to 85.14 μmolpNP/s/dm3, was recorded in terrestrial strains compared to the studied water strains (1.11-5.96 μmolpNP/s/dm3). The activity of acid phosphatases was higher in most tested water strains (1.67-6.28 μmolpNP/s/dm3) compared to the activity of alkaline phosphatases (1.11-5.96 μmolpNP/s/dm3). Comparing enzyme activity of nitrogen fixing and non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, it was found that most nitrogen fixing strains had a higher activity of alkaline phosphatases. The data obtained in this work indicate that activity of phosphatases is a strain specific property. The results further suggest that synthesis and activity of phosphatases depended on eco-physiological characteristics of the examined cyanobacterial strains. This can be of great importance for the further study of enzymes and mechanisms of their activity as a part of cyanobacterial survival strategy in environments with extreme conditions. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 43002

Distribution and frequency of biochemical parameters of boars from commercial farms

Proceeding