Predictability of Lead-210 in Surface Air Based on Multivariate Analysis

Dependence of the lead-210 activity concentration in surface air on meteorological variables and teleconnection indices is investigated using multivariate analysis, which gives the Boosted Decision Trees method as the most suitable for variable analysis. A mapped functional behaviour of the lead-210 activity concentration is further obtained, and used to test predictability of lead-210 in surface air. The results show an agreement between the predicted and measured values. The temporal evolution of the measured activities is satisfactorily matched by the prediction. The largest qualitative differences are obtained for winter months.3rd International Conference on Radiation and Applications in Various Fields of Research (RAD), Jun 08-12, 2015, Budva, Montenegr

Predictability of Lead-210 in Surface Air Based on Multivariate Analysis

Dependence of the lead-210 activity concentration in surface air on meteorological variables and teleconnection indices is investigated using multivariate analysis, which gives the Boosted Decision Trees method as the most suitable for variable analysis. A mapped functional behaviour of the lead-210 activity concentration is further obtained, and used to test predictability of lead-210 in surface air. The results show an agreement between the predicted and measured values. The temporal evolution of the measured activities is satisfactorily matched by the prediction. The largest qualitative differences are obtained for winter months.3rd International Conference on Radiation and Applications in Various Fields of Research (RAD), Jun 08-12, 2015, Budva, Montenegr

Evaluation of DNA damage in rat lymphocytes exposed to tulathromycin in vitro

Tulathromycin is a relatively new semi-synthetic macrolide antibiotic, a member of the triamilide group, approved primarly for the treatment of respiratory diseases in cattle and swine. Various genotoxicological studies indicated that tulathromycin is not genotoxic, but no available published data originate from the single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine whether it can induce primary DNA damage using in vitro Comet assay in isolated rat lymphocytes. Lymphocytes were treated with a broad spectrum of tulathromycin concentrations (from 1 to 100 mu M) and co-treatment with an antioxidant, catalase (100 IU/mL and 500 IU/mL) was performed. The highest concentrations of tulathromycin (50 and 100 mu M) caused significant increase of DNA damage in rat lymphocytes and catalase did not significantly reduce the DNA-damaging effect of tulathromycin. The results of this study indicate that tulathromycin induces genotoxic effects at high concentrations, that catalase does not exert protective effect in this case

From north to south and back: the role of the Balkans and other southern peninsulas in the recolonization of Europe by wild boar

Aim We analysed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the Balkans, including individuals from the northern Dinaric Balkans, an area that had not previously been characterized. Our aims were: (1) to reveal the level of genetic diversity and structuring and examine the demographic expansion of wild boar populations in the Balkans and Europe; (2) to examine the role of the Balkan gene pool in the post-LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) recolonization of Europe; and (3) to elucidate the phylogenetic position of European and Balkan wild boar in a Eurasian context by comparing sequences of wild boar worldwide. Location Balkan Peninsula. Methods A fragment of the mtDNA control region (443 bp) was sequenced in 163 wild boar from the Balkans. Phylogenetic analyses, using MrBayes and network, were carried out together with 188 previously published sequences from the Balkan Peninsula. Phylogenetic analyses were also performed with an additional 876 wild boar sequences from around the world. Results Sixteen haplotypes were found in the new samples, including 11 not previously reported in the Balkans. Phylogenetic analyses based on all known Balkan haplotypes indicated the existence of population structuring, revealing two groups: Continental Balkans and South Balkans. The analysis of the complete dataset, comprising 1227 mtDNA sequences from wild boar sampled worldwide, revealed the presence of 168 different haplotypes. All Balkan haplotypes fell into the E1 haplogroup, except one sample that possessed an Asian haplotype. Within the E1 haplogroup, 50% of the haplotypes were unique to the Balkan Peninsula. Main conclusions Wild boar from the Balkans exhibited high genetic diversity. Similar phylogeographical patterns emerge in all southern European peninsulas, arising from post-LGM expansion, and all three peninsulas played a similar role in the post-glacial recolonization of Europe by wild boar. This supports a leading-edge colonization hypothesis for all three peninsulas

Radon variability due to floor level in two typical residential buildings in Serbia

It is well known that one of the factors that influence the indoor radon variability is the floor level of the buildings. Considering the fact that the main source of indoor radon is radon in soil gas, it is expected that the radon concentration decreases at higher floors. Thus at higher floors the dominant source of radon is originating from building materials, and in some cases there may be deviations from the generally established regularity. In such sense, we chose one freestanding single-family house with loft and other 16-floor high-rise residential building for this study. The indoor radon measurements were performed by two methods: passive and active. We used passive devices based on track-etched detectors: Radtrak2 Radonova. For the short-term indoor radon measurements, we used two active devices: SN1029 and SN1030 (manufactured by Sun Nuclear Corporation). The first device was fixed in the living room at the ground level and the second was moved through the floors of the residential building. Every measuring cycle at the specified floor lasted seven days with the sampling time of 2 h. The results show two different indoor radon behaviours regarding radon variability due to floor level. In the single-family house with loft we registered intense difference between radon concentration in the ground level and loft, while in the high-rise residential building the radon level was almost the same at all floors, and hence we may conclude that radon originated mainly from building materials