Analysis of the Professional Aspects of Medical Drugs Industry in the Republic of Serbia in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic

The research subject of this paper is the analysis of the attitudes of employees in pharmaceutical companies towards the business aspects of the pharmaceutical industry during and after the end of the pandemic in the Republic of Serbia. The aim is to examine the differences in the attitudes of employees, as well as to determine which variables predict the situations of endangering the professional reputation of pharmaceutical companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted by means of a survey during 2021 on a sample of 27 innovative and generic pharmaceutical companies. We used the SPSS program for descriptive statistics analysis, chi square test and binary logistic regression models. The findings show that there is a statistically significant difference in the expressed attitudes of employees in innovative and generic pharmaceutical companies in terms of coming to the office during the pandemic; the lack of medicines and medical devices used in the treatment of COVID-19 infections; the patient access to a chosen doctor; the expectations of the employees to continue working from home after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the binary regression models show the slowdown in the supply chain, the access to doctors and working from the home office have not been perceived as creating situations of endangering professional reputations, that is, they contribute to the sustainable economic success. On the other hand, the introduction of digital technologies decreases the occurrence of conditions in which their professional reputation has been threatened

Obtaining colored antioxidant cotton and cotton/linen fabrics using green tea aqueous extract

Green tea aqueous extract was prepared and characterized regarding total flavonoids and total phenolic contents as well as antioxidant activity (assessed by ABTS method). The characterized aqueous extract was used for dyeing and functionalization of 100% cotton and cotton/linen (47%/53% and 70%/30%) fabrics. Fabric color strength (K/S) values and their antioxidant activities before and after washing were compared. The obtained results revealed that 100% cotton (GTI), 47%/53% cotton/linen (GTII), and 70%/30% cotton/linen (GTIII) fabrics have K/S values ranging between 8.33 and 10.85. After one washing cycle, these values decreased significantly. On the other hand, dyed fabrics showed excellent (100 %) ABTS radical scavenging ability which remained excellent (GTII) or decreased to medium (GTI and GTIII) levels after one washing cycle. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that 47%/53% cotton/linen fabric is the most suitable for functional clothing capable of trapping the free radial of oxygen species. The current paper represents a step towards a more sustainable textile industry that could undoubtedly contribute to overcoming the environmental problems caused by the textile industry

Inkluzivni pristup zaštiti manjinskog nematerijalnog kulturnog nasleđa u Srbiji iz perspektive standarda ljudskih prava

Zaštita nematerijalnog kulturnog nasleđa predstavlja značajan aspekt zaštite prava nacionalnih manjina, a u našem kontekstu dobija poseban značaj s obzirom na osetljivo nasleđe međuetničkih konflikata i potrebu za prevencijom bilateralne kondicionalnosti pri pristupanju Republike Srbije Evropskoj Uniji. Iako se na nju obično ne gleda na taj način, pristupanjem Konvenciji o zaštiti nematerijalnog kulturnog nasleđa UNESCO Republika Srbija je dobila još jedan značajan instrument za unapređenje položaja pripadnika nacionalnih manjina. U prethodnim godinama, uprkos nepostojanju adekvatnog zakonskog okvira, uspostavljen je originalan i uspešan institucionalni mehanizam za realizaciju ovog režima u nacionalnim okvirima, čiji su značajni rezultati već primetni. U članku se analizira aktuelni pravni okvir zaštite manjinskih prava iz perspektive zaštite nematerijalnog kulturnog nasleđa i razmatraju dosadašnji pravno relevantni rezultati zajedničkog pravno-etnoantropološkog istraživanja. Analiza sadrži i primenjeno-naučne preporuke kojima se sugerišu moguća pravna rešenja usmerena na prevenciju instrumentalizacije pitanja manjinskog kulturnog nasleđa i izostanka njegove zaštite u kontekstu procesa evropskih integracija i kulturalizovane bilaternalne kondicionalnosti

Analysis of consumers' willingness to pay for organic and local honey in Serbia

In times of increased concern for human health and care for the environment, it is important to investigate the consumer behavior models in order to better manage the product supply. From the perspective of our research, it is important to learn about consumer attitudes, of a specific product, such as honey, so as to potentially strengthen the economic position of honey producers. The purpose of this article was to explore the consumers' perceptions of organic and local honey in the Republic of Serbia and identify factors that contribute to predicting consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for organic and local honey. The ordinal regression was used to determine which factors influence the WTP for organic and local honey, and the findings show that the consumers were WTP more for organic honey than for local honey. Socio-economic characteristics of respondents and honey attributes affect consumers' WTP. The higher monthly household income positively influences the WTP for organic honey, while on the other hand, the higher level of education has a positive influence on the WTP for local honey. The WTP for organic honey positively affected by the perceived importance of honey attributes, such as food safety and support for the local community. The frequency of the purchase of the local honey, the recommendations for the local honey purchase and the perceived importance of attributes, such as the care for the environment and nutritional properties, have a positive influence on the consumers' WTP for local honey. From this, we can conclude that our understanding of all the factors that influence a consumer's decision to allocate budget expenses for honey can help all stakeholders in creating an adequate pricing and promotional strategy for honey products

Obtaining colored antioxidant cotton and cotton/linen fabrics using green tea aqueous extract

Abstract Green tea aqueous extract was prepared and characterized regarding total flavonoids and total phenolic contents as well as antioxidant activity (assessed by ABTS method). The characterized aqueous extract was used for dyeing and functionalization of 100% cotton and cotton/linen (47%/53% and 70%/30%) fabrics. Fabric color strength (K/S) values and their antioxidant activities before and after washing were compared. The obtained results revealed that 100% cotton (GTI), 47%/53% cotton/linen (GTII), and 70%/30% cotton/linen (GTIII) fabrics have K/S values ranging between 8.33 and 10.85. After one washing cycle, these values decreased significantly. On the other hand, dyed fabrics showed excellent (100 %) ABTS radical scavenging ability which remained excellent (GTII) or decreased to medium (GTI and GTIII) levels after one washing cycle. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that 47%/53% cotton/linen fabric is the most suitable for functional clothing capable of trapping the free radial of oxygen species. The current paper represents a step towards a more sustainable textile industry that could undoubtedly contribute to overcoming the environmental problems caused by the textile industr

Structure of populations of lumbricidae in agroecosystems

Značaj koji autohtone vrste kišnih glista imaju u tlu, pre svega u formiranju plodnog zemljišta, nije moguće sagledati bez poznavanja njihovog diverziteta, ekologije i distribucije. Cilj rada je bio procena stanja agroekosistemima analiziom strukture populacija Lumbricidae. Registrovano je 10 vrsta, iz pet rodova, a najbrojniji je rod Aporrectodea. Prisustvo vrste Aporrectodea rosea je utvrđeno na svim lokalitetima. Analizom ekoloških tipova i zoogeografskih kategorija, utvrđeno je da populacija lumbricida oskudna, razbijena i prilično ujednačena. Ovi rezultati ukazuju na mogućnost upotrebe lumbricida za rano upozoravanje na zdravlje tla i za procenu stanja životne sredine.The importance of autohtone autochthonous earthworm species in soil, especially in the formation of fertile soil, cannot be seen without knowledge of their diversity, ecology and distribution. Our goal was to assess the state of agroecosystems by analyzing the structure of populations of Lumbricidae. We were collected a total of 10 lumbricid species, within 5 genera. Most of the taxa belong to the genera Aporrectodea. Aporrectodea rosea has been found in all localities. By analyzing the ecological form and zoogeographic types, we have found that the lumbricide population is scarce, disrupted and fairly uniform. These results indicate the possibility of using lumbricides for early warning of soil health and for environmental assessment

Antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils against selected pathogenic bacteria: In vitro study

The worldwide problem of infectious diseases has appeared in recent years, and antimicrobial agents are crucial in reducing disease emergence. Nevertheless, the development and distribution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains in pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhi and Citrobacter koseri, has become a major society health hazard. Essential oils could serve as a promising tool as a natural drug in fighting the problem with these bacteria. The current study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial effectiveness of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden and Betche) Cheel), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus obliqua L’Hér.), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill) essential oils. The antimicrobial properties of essential oils were screened against four pathogenic bacteria, E. coli, S. aureus, S. Tyhpi, and C. koseri, and two reference bacterial strains, while for the testing, the agar well diffusion method was used. Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MSD) analyses were performed on essential oils. The obtained results showed that M. alternifolia essential oil is the richest in terpinen-4-ol, R. officinalis and E. oblique essential oils in 1,8-cineole, and L. angustifolia essential oil in α-terpinyl acetate. In addition, the main bioactive compounds present in the essential oil of tea tree are rich in α-pinene (18.38%), limonene (7.55%) and γ-terpinene (14.01%). The essential oil of rosemary is rich in α-pinene (8.38%) and limonene (11.86%); eucalyptus essential oil has significant concentrations of α-pinene (12.60%), p-cymene (3.24%), limonene (3.87%), and γ-terpinene (7.37%), while the essential oil of lavender is rich in linalool (10.71%), linalool acetate (9.60%), α-terpinyl acetate (10.93%), and carbitol (13.05%) bioactive compounds, respectively. The obtained results from the in vitro study revealed that most of the essential oils exhibited antimicrobial properties. Among the tested essential oils, tea tree was discovered to demonstrate the strongest antimicrobial activity. The recorded MIC of S. Typhi was 6.2 mg/mL, 3.4 mg/mL of C. koseri, 3.1 mg/mL of E. coli, and 2.7 mg/mL of E. coli ATCC 25922, compared to M. alternifolia. Similarly, only S. aureus ATCC 25923 showed antimicrobial activity towards R. officinalis (1.4 mg/mL), E. oblique (2.9 mg/mL), and L. angustifolia (2.1 mg/mL). Based on the obtained results, it is possible to conclude that tea tree essential oil might be used as an ecological antimicrobial in treating infectious diseases caused by the tested pathogens

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: A Comprehensive Review of Currently Used Methods

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major threat to public health globally. Accurate and rapid detection of resistance to antimicrobial drugs, and subsequent appropriate antimicrobial treatment, combined with antimicrobial stewardship, are essential for controlling the emergence and spread of AMR. This article reviews common antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods and relevant issues concerning the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Although accurate, classic technologies used in clinical microbiology to profile antimicrobial susceptibility are time-consuming and relatively expensive. As a result, physicians often prescribe empirical antimicrobial therapies and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Although recently developed AST systems have shown advantages over traditional methods in terms of testing speed and the potential for providing a deeper insight into resistance mechanisms, extensive validation is required to translate these methodologies to clinical practice. With a continuous increase in antimicrobial resistance, additional efforts are needed to develop innovative, rapid, accurate, and portable diagnostic tools for AST. The wide implementation of novel devices would enable the identification of the optimal treatment approaches and the surveillance of antibiotic resistance in health, agriculture, and the environment, allowing monitoring and better tackling the emergence of AMR

Supplementary data for article: Glavinić, U.; Rajković, M.; Vunduk, J.; Vejnović, B.; Stevanović, J.; Milenković, I.; Stanimirović, Z. Effects of Agaricus bisporus Mushroom Extract on Honey Bees Infected with Nosema ceranae. Insects 2021, 12 (10). https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100915.

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100915]Related to published version: [https://vet-erinar.vet.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2234

Effects of agaricus bisporus mushroom extract on honey bees infected with nosema ceranae

Agaricus bisporus water crude extract was tested on honey bees for the first time. The first part of the cage experiment was set for selecting one concentration of the A. bisporus extract. Concentration of 200 µg/g was further tested in the second part of the experiment where bee survival and food consumption were monitored together with Nosema infection level and expression of five genes (abaecin, hymenoptaecin, defensin, apidaecin, and vitellogenin) that were evaluated in bees sampled on days 7 and 15. Survival rate of Nosema-infected bees was significantly greater in groups fed with A. bisporus-enriched syrup compared to those fed with a pure sucrose syrup. Besides, the anti-Nosema effect of A. bisporus extract was greatest when applied from the third day which coincides with the time of infection with N. ceranae. Daily food consumption did not differ between the groups indicating good acceptability and palatability of the extract. A. bisporus extract showed a stimulative effect on four out of five monitored genes. Both anti-Nosema and nutrigenomic effects of A. bisporus extract were observed when supplementation started at the moment of N. ceranae infection or preventively (before or simultaneously with the infection)