Rare Earth‐Doped Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles

Titanium dioxide is a wide band‐gap semiconductor of high chemical stability, nontoxicity and large refractive index. Because of the high photocatalytic activity, anatase is a preferred TiO2 form in many applications such as for air and water splitting and purification. Doping of TiO2 with various ions can increase the photocatalytic activity by enhancing light absorption in visible region and can alter structure, surface area and morphology. Also, by doping TiO2 with optically active ions, visible light via up‐ or downconversion luminescence can be produced. It is a challenge to optimize the synthesis procedure to incorporate rare earth RE3+ ions into the TiO2 structure due to large mismatch in ionic radii between the Ti4+ and RE3+ and because of the charge imbalance. Visible (VIS) and ultraviolet (UV) luminescence of several RE3+ ions can be obtained when incorporated into anatase TiO2, also affecting microstructural characteristics of TiO2. It is of great importance to summarize publications on rare earth‐doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles to find correct TiO2-RE combination to sensitize trivalent rare earths luminescence, as well as to predict or tune structural and morphological properties. A better understanding on these topics may progress the desired design of this kind of material towards specific applications

The ability of fungus mucor racemosus fresenius to degrade high concentration of detergent

©2014 CI and CEQ. All rights reserved. The ability of fungus Mucor racemosus Fresenius to decompose high concentration of commercial detergent (Merix, Henkel, Serbia) was investigated in this study. Fungus was cultivated in liquid growth medium by Czapek with addition of detergent at concentration 0.5% during 16 days. The biochemical changes of pH, redox potential, amount of free and total organic acids, and activity of alkaline phosphatase were evaluated by analysis of fermentation broth. Simultaneously, biodegradation percentage of anionic surfactant of tested detergent was confirmed by MBAS assay. At the same time, the influence of detergent on fungal growth and total dry weight biomass was determined. Detergent addition at concentration 0.5% resulted in a decrease in pH value and increase in redox potential as well as increase of free and total organic acids. Enzyme activity of alkaline phosphatase was reduced by detergent at concentration 0.5%. The fungus was decomposed about 62% of anionic surfactant during 16 day. Due to the fungus, higher dry weight biomass (53%) was produced compared to the control

Corticosteroids in Emergency Pathologies

Ever since their discovery in the fifties of the last century, as an anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, corticosteroids have found a significant place and wide application in various fields of medicine. Their effects are known to be diverse. The most significant ones are the anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immunosuppressive effects. Furthermore, they affect the hematopoietic system. Corticosteroids produce complex metabolic effects by stimulating glyconeogenesis, increasing the uptake of amino acids in the liver and kidneys, and enhancing lipolysis. Given that natural adrenocortical hormones are synthesized under the influence of stress, it is expected that in the emergency situations, where we face vitally endangered patients whose body is under the stress due to respiratory insufficiency or impaired hemodynamics, corticosteroids do have significant place in the treatment. Thus, these drugs are used in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, in anaphylactic reactions, spinal shock, Addisonian crisis, and sepsis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, corticosteroids found their place in certain stages of treatment, as well as in many national protocols for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Hence, the use of corticosteroids in the emergency pathologies will be reviewed in this chapter

Evidence of Aujeszky s disease in wild boar in Serbia

Background: Aujeszkys disease is a viral disease of suids caused by Suid Herpesvirus 1. The disease has worldwide distribution with significant economic impact. In Serbia, there is neither an Aujeszkys disease eradication nor national vaccination programme of domestic pigs. Since clinical symptoms of Aujeszkys disease are not specific, it is important to establish a link between clinical signs and presence of ADV active infection in wild boars. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of active infection within wild boar showing signs of ADV and also to examine relationship between isolates from domestic pigs and wild boar. Having in mind that virus has not been previously isolated from wild boars in Serbia, we report the first isolation of Suid Herpesvirus 1 from this species in Serbia. Results: Tissue and serum samples from 40 wild boars from eastern Serbia were examined for evidence of Aujeszkys disease (AD). Suid Herpesvirus 1 (SHV1), the cause of AD was isolated on PK15 cell line from three tissue samples, inducing cytopathic effect (CPE) with syncytia forming, and viral genome was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in eight samples. Genetic analysis of us4, us9 and ul49.5 partial sequences showed high homology between ADV isolates from wild boars and between isolates from wild boars and domestic animals. Neutralizing antibodies were not detected by virus neutralisation test (VNT) in sera from four out of eight PCR positive wild boars suggesting recent infection in those animals. Conclusions: This is the first demonstration of Aujeszkys disease virus (ADV) in the wild boar population in Serbia although seroconversion has been detected previously

Suitability of individual and bulk milk samples to investigate the humoral immune response to lumpy skin disease vaccination by ELISA

Background The detection of antibodies against capripoxvirus has become easier with a commercially available ELISA validated for serum and plasma. In order to explore its suitability for immunological investigations on alternative samples, this study targeted milk as sample matrix available through non-invasive sampling. Methods Samples for this study were collected from dairy cows vaccinated against LSD in an area without reported LSD virus circulation. Paired serum and milk (individual and bulk) samples were tested by ELISA without and with modifications of the sample incubation time for the milk samples. For the evaluation of the test specificity, 352 milk samples from a milk repository in Germany were used as negative control. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed for determination of the Youden index and determination of the most suitable cut-off value for maximum specificity. Results From 154 analyzed serum samples from Serbia, 75 were detected as positive in the ELISA. Sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test for milk samples reached values of 88 to 91% using Youden criteria. A cut-off of 10 was determined aiming for maximum specificity. This cut-off value was used for further analysis. Using the protocol for serum, out of 154 milk samples, 38 were detected as positive, number of positive detected milk samples increase up to 48 with modified protocol. Milk samples from Germany reacted negative, except two samples that had borderline results using modified protocol. Significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) was observed between two incubation protocols. The detection of LSD-specific antibodies from bulk milk samples (pools of 2-10 individuals) came along with a reduced sensitivity over the sample of individual animals. Conclusions Results show that the detection of capripoxvirus specific antibodies in milk samples using the commercially available ELISA from IDvet is feasible and can represent a helpful tool for LSDV monitoring programs

Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of B2L Gene of ORF Virus from Clinical Cases of Sheep in Serbia

Infection of sheep by the ORF virus (ORFV) is very common in Serbia. ORFV is an economically important viral disease, distributed worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis based on the B2L gene of Serbian ORFV strains from two outbreaks that occurred in Serbia in 2016 is presented in this paper. Crust formation around the lips, nostrils, and udder was noted in all animals from the first outbreak, whilst in the second outbreak, all animals showed swollen and cyanotic lips and muzzle, with no visible crusts. Virus isolation was conducted using Vero cells. Cytopathic effects were evident on the third passage. However, all examined samples were positive using PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial gene sequences (terminal gene regions were not included) encoding B2L gene of Serbian ORFV isolates showed 97.33-100.00% nucleotide and 92.86-100.00% amino acid similarity between each other. However, the viruses were divided into two clusters within the previously recognized Group 2, together with viruses from Croatia, Greece, Finland, China, South Korea and North America. This study is the first report of phylogenetic analysis of ORFV from Serbia and contributes to the data available in the GenBank database. The results of our investigation showed genetic diversity between ORFV strains in Serbia

Detekcija i genotipizacija izolata virusa klasične kuge svinja u Srbiji

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious disease of pigs leading to significant economic losses worldwide. Classical swine fever virus can be classified into three genogroups, each consisting of three or four subgroups. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the genotypes of CSFV isolates in Republic of Serbia. This study, based on the sequences analysis of partial E2 gene and 5' non coding region (NCR) of 15 CSFV isolated during 2006-2008 from domestic pigs, revealed that all were clustered into genetic group 2.3. Additionally, we showed that the two most often used real time RT-PCR assays were able to detect all local CSF viruses circulated in Serbia in the last years during intensive vaccination campaign against CSF.Klasična kuga svinja (CSF) je visoko kontagiozno oboljenje svinja koje dovodi do značajnih ekonomskih gubitaka širom sveta. Na osnovu genetske strukture, virus klasicne kuge svinja podeljen je utri genogrupe, od kojih svaka ima tri ili četiri podgrupe. Nedostaju podaci o tome koji genotipovi virusa klasične kuge svinja na teritoriji Republike Srbije cirkulišu u prijemčivoj populaciji. Sekvencioniranjem dela E2 gena i 5’nekodirajućeg regiona (NCR) 15 izolata virusa klasične kuge svinja prikupljenih u periodu od 2006-2008 godine, poreklom od domaćih svinja, dokazano je da svi pripadaju genetskoj grupi 2.3. Uz to, dokazano je i da je upotrebom dva najčešće korišćena real time RT-PCR protokola moguće detektovati sve lokalne izolate virusa klasične kuge svinja koji cirkulišu u Srbiji poslednjih godina, u kojoj se uporedo vršila i intenzivna vakcinacija protiv ove bolesti

The performance of seven molecular methods for the detection of prrsv

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome is a viral disease of swine characterized by reproductive failure of breeding animals and respiratory disorders in all categories. The first PRRS case in Serbia was recorded in 2001 after illegal import of boar semen. PRRS is economically the most important disease due to significant direct and indirect losses. Today, for routine diagnosis of PRRS in infected herds serological methods (ELISA) and molecular methods are used. Although modern diagnostic techniques are very robust, exceptional diversity of the viral strains is often the obstacle for an accurate diagnosis. To estimate the performance of seven different methods for PRRSV genome detection, twenty samples were used. However, none of the methods was able to detect all PRRSV strains. The best sensitivity was obtained by combining two methods. Until today, there is no absolutely accurate test which enables the detection of all circulating strains

U potrazi za najboljim rešenjem - akvaponika

Aquaponic production combines intensive production with waste recycling and water conservation. Aquaponic join recirculating aquaculture with hydroponics to use nutrient waste from aquaculture as an input to plant growth. Traditional aquaculture systems treat or dispose nutrient-rich wastewater. In aquaponics, the waste products from the fish are converted by a bio-filter into soluble nutrients which are absorbed by the plants, and allow ‘clean’ water to be returned back to the fish. Thus, it produces valuable fish protein with a minimal pollution of fresh water resources, while at the same time producing horticultural crops. Fish in aquaponic production systems can be raised in ponds, tanks, or other containers. Plants are grown separately in hydroponic tanks, submerged in water but suspended in gravel, sand, perlite, or porous plastic films, as well as on floating rafts. Systems vary greatly in design and construction, but most perform the following key functions: finfish and plant production, removal of suspended solids, and bacterial nitrification. This review discusses applications, effects and perspective of aquaponics.Akvaponika kombinuje intenzivnu proizvodnju sa reciklažom otpadnih materija i očuvanjem vode, i povezuje akvakulturu sa hidroponikom u cilju korišćenja hranljivih materija iz akvakulture za rast biljaka. U tradicionalnoj akvakulturi, otpadna voda bogata hranljivim materijama se ne koristi. U akvaponici, produkti nastali prilikom gajenja riba se pomoću biofiltera konvertuju u rastvorljive materije koje biljke apsorbuju, a “čista” voda se vraća ponovo u proizvodnju. Na ovaj način se omogućava proizvodnja visoko vrednih animalnih proteina, uz minimalno zagađenje vode, dok se istovremeno dobijaju proizvodi hortikulture. Postoji veliki broj sistema za gajenje, različitog dizajna i konstrukcije, ali se svi baziraju na zadovoljavanju ključnih funkcija: proizvodnji riba i biljaka, uklanjanju rastvorenih materija i bakterijskoj nitrifikaciji. U radu su prikazani primena, efekti i perspektive akvaponike

Herpesvirusne bolesti ciprinida

Cyprinidae, the largest known fish family including carp and minnows, has worldwide distribution with many species that are economically important in aquaculture. As would be expected, many viral pathogens can affect this group. The most pathogenic of these are the rhabdoviruses, a reovirus and three herpesviruses. Cyprinid herpesviruses can cause significant economic losses in aquaculture, and some of these viruses are oncogenic. The three herpesviruses are closely related but cause distinctly different diseases. Fish pox, caused by cyprinid herpesvirus 1 (CyHV-1), is one of the oldest known fish diseases, being recorded as early as 1563. It takes the form of a hyperplastic, epidermal papilloma on common carp. Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) is causative agent of herpesviral hematopoietic necrosis (HVHN). The herpesvirus was first isolated from cultured goldfish in Japan. It causes a severe epizootic but no external clinical signs were apparent on affected fish. One of the most economically important and researched viral diseases of carp is koi herpesviral disease caused by cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3). The aim of this paper is to present the current knowledge on herpesvirus diseases of the cyprinids.Ciprinide, najveća poznata familija riba, koja obuhvata šaranske vrste riba, je rasprostranjena širom sveta, sa mnogim vrstama koje imaju veliki ekonomski značaj u akvakulturi. Kao što bi se moglo očekivati, mnogi virusi mogu delovati na ovu grupu, među kojima su od najvećeg značaja pripadnici familija rabdovirusa, reovirusa i herpesvirusa. Herpesvirusi ciprinida mogu izazvati značajne ekonomske gubitke u akvakulturi, a neki od njih virusa su onkogeni. Iako su veoma srodni herpesvirusi ciprinida izazivaju različite bolesti sa veoma različitim karakteristikama. Boginje riba, koje izaziva herpesvirus 1 (CyHV-1), je jedno od najstarijih poznatih bolesti riba, utvrđeno još 1563. godine. Ovo oboljenje se po pravilu ispoljava u vidu hiperplastičnih papilomatoznih promena epiderma šarana. Herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) je uzročnik herpesvirusne hematopoezne nekroze (HVHN). Ovaj virus je prvi put izolovan iz zlatnih ribica u Japanu. Kao posledica delovanja uzročnika dolazi do pojave značajnih epizootija bez izraženih kliničkih znakova kod obolelih riba. Jedno od ekonomski najznačajnijih virusnih oboljenja šarana je koi herpesviroza izazvana ciprinim herpesvirusom 3 (CyHV-3). Cilj ovog rada je da se predstave aktuelna saznanja o oboljenjima ciprinida izazvanih herpesvirusima