Biomarkers of response to interferon- β therapy in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

Multipla skleroza (MS) je hronična, zapaljenska, demijelinizaciona i neurodegenerativna bolest centralnog nervnog sistema (CNS). Smatra se da je MS autoimunska bolest kod koje autoreaktivni pomoćnički T-limfociti (Th) specifični za antigene mijelina pokreću proces oštećenja direktno i aktivacijom drugih imunskih i neimunskih ćelija. Njihovo dejstvo bar delom antagonizuju regulatorni T-limfociti (Treg). Prva linija terapije za najčešću formu MS, relapsno-remitentnu (RR), je interferon-β koji svoje efekte ostvaruje dejstvom na ekspresiju različitih gena. Problem koji se nameće u lečenju ovim lekom je relativno visoka učestalost slabog terapijskog odgovora. U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji prospektivno je praćena relativna genska ekspresija iRNK u mononuklearnim ćelijama periferne krvi kod bolesnika sa RRMS. Mereni su markeri biološkog odgovora na IFN-β, marker T-limfocita, Th1/17 − polarišući citokini, njihovi receptori, transkripcioni faktori Th1/17 i Treg, efektorski citokinii endogeni IFN-β pre početka terapije sa IFN-β1b i nakon 6, 12, 24 i 36 meseci trajanja terapije. Pored toga, praćena je kinetika koncentracije odabranih proinflamatornih citokina u plazmi. Analiziran je potencijal ovih medijatora kao biomarkera kliničkog odgovora na terapiju. Tokom IFN-β terapije su se značajno menjali nivoi ekspresije svih ispitivanih gena, i to na isti način kod pacijenata koji dobro odgovaraju na terapiju i kod pacijenata koji suboptimalno odgovaraju na terapiju. IFN-β terapija nije uticala na koncentracije merenih proinflamatornih citokina u plazmi bolesnika sa RRMS. Nije postojala povezanost nivoa RNK, kao ni koncentracije citokina u plazmi sa kliničkim i demografskim parametrima obolelih. Međutim, kada su podaci analizirani u zavisnosti od pojave relapsa, nađena je povezanost niže ekspresije β2 subjedinice receptora za IL-12 (IL-12Rβ2) sa višim rizikom za pojavu relapsa. Relativna genska ekspresija IL-12Rβ2 ima potencijal kao biomarker odgovora na terapiju sa IFN-β1b. Dalja istraživanja koja bi uključila veći broj bolesnika sa RRMS su potrebna kako bi se ispitala ova pretpostavka i procenila primenjivost korišćenja relativne genske ekspresije IL-12Rβ2 kao biomarkera odgovora na terapiju sa IFN-β1b..

Outage minimization of energy-harvesting wireless sensor network supported by UAV

Due to their adaptability, mobility, and capacity to offer an ideal channel, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a potential option for wireless power transfer and data collection in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This paper examines energy-constrained WSNs, where data transfer to the data center is facilitated by UAV and sensors rely on radio frequency (RF) energy obtained by a Power Beacon (PB). However, due to energy limitations, sensors can only send data using the harvested energy. We consider a WSN in which the nodes are randomly distributed within a circular area, with the PB placed at the center of the WSN. To evaluate the system performance, we consider the dynamic nature of the wireless channel, which includes factors such as signal reflection, scattering, and diffraction. Through numerical analysis and simulations, the main aim is to identify the optimal system parameters that minimize the outage probability. This analysis provides valuable insights for designing more effective and reliable energy-harvesting WSNs with UAV as data collector. By leveraging UAV in WSNs, system performance can be improved, ensuring data transmission to destination nodes placed at a large distance from the WSN

ACCIDENT PREVENTION IN SEVESO FACILITIES: EXAMPLE OF THE COPPER FLOTATION PLANT IN BOR

In the near future, sustainable development of mining will inevitably be included in the raising of ecological awareness. When Serbia joins the EU, the mining industry will have to abide by European ecological standards and legislation, with which it is currently in the process of harmonization. This will primarily protect the population living in mining areas from large-scale accidents, as well as from the existing pollution sources. Pollution of the town of Bor began more than a century ago when industrialist Đorđe Vajfert was granted the excavation concession, as he hoped he would find gold there. Instead, he found copper, which was first extracted by the French. Since then, the development and survival of the town have depended on copper mining, which necessarily degraded the environment. For the purpose of harmonizing the environmental legal regulation of current copper production and, above all, reducing the risk of large-scale accidents, the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Risk Management of the Faculty of Occupational Safety in Niš has prepared the Report on the Safety of Flotation Plant Bor at the request of Copper Mine Bor, a subsidy of RTB Bor (Mining and Smelting Complex Bor). The Report is essentially a study defining the operation objectives and principles of Seveso facility operators for risk control against chemical accidents. The purpose of this study was to improve the implementation of accident prevention principles at the Flotation Plant Bor. This paper presents the parts of the study that pertain to prescribed preventive procedures and measures against accidents due to hazardous materials that are present during flotation. It covers the following aspects: facilities; equipment; piping; machinery; tools; repositories; flotation tailings pond; analysis and assessment of the effectiveness of the system of occupational safety and fire and explosion safety; assessment of impact on employees, the surrounding population, and buildings, and the possible harmful environmental impact; assessment of unwanted event incidence; and calculations of vulnerable zones

GENERATION AND MONITORING OF METHANE AT A MUNICIPAL WASTE LANDFILL

Abstract. This paper describes oxidation reactions of methane, as the prevalently emitted landfill gas, as well as reactions of oxidative pyrolysis with all the important factors influencing the final amount of methane emission: air temperature, landfill body temperature, pressure, humidity, and soil structure. Based on theoretical background and measures of methane emissions at 24 measuring points at the “Meteris” landfill in the town of Vranje, we analyzed the data on methane exceeding the maximum allowable values in ambient air and the possibility of a fire due to methane’s flammability limit being reached. The paper also provides a description of the “Meteris” landfill general features. Key words: waste, landfill, landfill gas, methan

Altered cytokine expression in Helicobacter pylori infected patients with bleeding duodenal ulcer

Objective Peptic ulcer disease is a condition in which an important role has infection with H. pylori. The most common complication of peptic ulcer is bleeding. The presence of H. pylori triggers local and systemic cytokine signaling which may affect processes such as healing, gastric or duodenal rupture, and carcinogenesis. In this study, we examined the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF, TGF-β and IL-17A in serum by enzyme immunoassay and their mRNA expressions in periulcer biopsies obtained from patients with bleeding peptic ulcer by means of real-time-PCR. Results We have shown that pro-inflammatory IL-6 and TNF concentrations in serum were significantly higher in patients who were infected with H. pylori, while the concentrations of TGF-β and IL-17A were significantly lower compared to non-infected subjects. IL-17A expression in periulcer mucosa was significantly higher in patients who were infected with H. pylori, while the expression of other cytokines, there was no significant difference compared to non-infected controls. Considering higher serum concentrations in non-infected subjects and higher IL-17A expression in mucosal tissue of infected patients, our data support the studies that found IL-17A has protective role in eradication of H. pylori infection in infected patients

Biomarkers of response to interferon- β therapy in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

Multipla skleroza (MS) je hronična, zapaljenska, demijelinizaciona i neurodegenerativna bolest centralnog nervnog sistema (CNS). Smatra se da je MS autoimunska bolest kod koje autoreaktivni pomoćnički T-limfociti (Th) specifični za antigene mijelina pokreću proces oštećenja direktno i aktivacijom drugih imunskih i neimunskih ćelija. Njihovo dejstvo bar delom antagonizuju regulatorni T-limfociti (Treg). Prva linija terapije za najčešću formu MS, relapsno-remitentnu (RR), je interferon-β koji svoje efekte ostvaruje dejstvom na ekspresiju različitih gena. Problem koji se nameće u lečenju ovim lekom je relativno visoka učestalost slabog terapijskog odgovora. U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji prospektivno je praćena relativna genska ekspresija iRNK u mononuklearnim ćelijama periferne krvi kod bolesnika sa RRMS. Mereni su markeri biološkog odgovora na IFN-β, marker T-limfocita, Th1/17 − polarišući citokini, njihovi receptori, transkripcioni faktori Th1/17 i Treg, efektorski citokinii endogeni IFN-β pre početka terapije sa IFN-β1b i nakon 6, 12, 24 i 36 meseci trajanja terapije. Pored toga, praćena je kinetika koncentracije odabranih proinflamatornih citokina u plazmi. Analiziran je potencijal ovih medijatora kao biomarkera kliničkog odgovora na terapiju. Tokom IFN-β terapije su se značajno menjali nivoi ekspresije svih ispitivanih gena, i to na isti način kod pacijenata koji dobro odgovaraju na terapiju i kod pacijenata koji suboptimalno odgovaraju na terapiju. IFN-β terapija nije uticala na koncentracije merenih proinflamatornih citokina u plazmi bolesnika sa RRMS. Nije postojala povezanost nivoa RNK, kao ni koncentracije citokina u plazmi sa kliničkim i demografskim parametrima obolelih. Međutim, kada su podaci analizirani u zavisnosti od pojave relapsa, nađena je povezanost niže ekspresije β2 subjedinice receptora za IL-12 (IL-12Rβ2) sa višim rizikom za pojavu relapsa. Relativna genska ekspresija IL-12Rβ2 ima potencijal kao biomarker odgovora na terapiju sa IFN-β1b. Dalja istraživanja koja bi uključila veći broj bolesnika sa RRMS su potrebna kako bi se ispitala ova pretpostavka i procenila primenjivost korišćenja relativne genske ekspresije IL-12Rβ2 kao biomarkera odgovora na terapiju sa IFN-β1b..

ANALIZA FAKTORA KOJI UTIČU NA STVARANJE DEPONIJSKOG GASA NA SANITARNIM DEPONIJAMA

Waste disposal is an element of integrated waste management. Properly designed projects for landfill construction ensure safe waste disposal with minimal environmental impact. The first part of this paper discusses and analyses waste management and landfills in Serbia. The second part describes the factors contributing to landfill gas (LFG) generation. The influence of several factors on LFG generation is shown on the basis of measurements of LFG components concentrations and of the analysed wastewater samples taken from “Pirot” Regional Sanitary Landfill. Depending on the contributory factors, provision of optimal conditions at the landfill accelerates waste decomposition, in turn producing larger quantities of LFG, with the ultimate goal of proper controlled LFG management. The paper presents guidelines for controlled LFG management, the implementation of which would automatically meet the requirements and recommendations of both domestic and European legislation.Deponovanje otpada je element integrisanog upravljanja otpadom. Valjano izrađeni projekti izgradnje deponije osiguravaju bezbedno odlaganje otpada uz minimalne negativne uticaje na životnu sredinu. U prvom delu rada izvršen je pregled  i analiza otpada i deponija u Republici Srbiji. U drugom delu rada, opisani su faktori koji utiču na stvaranje deponijskog gasa. Na osnovu merenja koncentracije komponenata deponijskog gasa i analiziranih uzoraka otpadnih voda sa Regionalne sanitarne deponije „Pirot“ prikazani su uticaji određenog broja faktora na stvaranje deponijskog gasa. U zavisinosti od  faktora uticaja, i stvaranjem optimalnih uslova na deponiji se ubrzava proces degradacije otpada i samim tim stvaraju i emituju veće količine deponijskog gasa što dalje ima za cilj i kontrolisano i pravilno upravljanje deponijskim gasom. U ovom radu predstavljene su smernice za kontrolisano upravljanje deponijskim gasom, a samim tim bi se ispunili zahtevi i preporuke  kako nacionalnih tako i evropskih propisa

MAPIRANJE POLJOPRIVREDNOG OTPADA ZA PROIZVODNJU BIOGASA KORIŠĆENJEM POTPUNO KONVOLUCIONALNE NEURONSKE MREŽE I DALJINSKIH SATELITSKIH SLIKA

The increasing generation of waste and depletion of natural resources has led to a growing need for innovative approaches for utilizing different types of waste as potential energy and material resources. Agricultural activities produce large amounts of Agricultural Waste (AW), which, if not adequately managed, can lead to environmental degradation. One potential solution for the effective utilization of AW is converting it into biogas. However, commercializing this process requires a comprehensive understanding of the types and quantities of AW generated. In this paper, the use of a Fully Convolutional Neural Network (FCN), which has rapidly advanced with the progress of Artificial Intelligence and become essential for tasks such as Semantic Segmentation, Object Detection, and Image Classification, is proposed to improve the prediction of AW for biogas production. Furthermore, this paper presents a Deep Learning-based image segmentation method to recognize vineyard fields, which are a significant source of AW, using remote satellite images. The proposed approach can significantly improve the identification of AW sources, and thus contribute to the efficient and sustainable utilization of AW for biogas production.Sve veće generisanje otpada zajedno sa iscrpljivanjem prirodnih resursa dovelo je do potrebe za stvaranjem inovativnih pristupa za korišćenje različitih vrsta otpada kao potencijalnih energetskih i materijalnih resursa. Poljoprivredne aktivnosti prouzrokuju stvaranje velike količine poljoprivrednog otpada, koji, ako se njime ne upravlja na odgovarajući način, može dovesti do zagađenja životne sredine. Jedno potencijalno rešenje za efikasno korišćenje poljoprivrednog otpada je pretvaranje istog u biogas. Međutim, komercijalizacija ovog procesa zahteva potpuno razumevanje tipova i količina proizvedenog poljoprivrednog otpada. U ovom radu se predlaže upotreba potpuno konvolucione neuronske mreže (FCN), koja je brzo razvija sa napretkom veštačke inteligencije i koja je postala neophodna kada su u pitanju zadaci kao što je semantička segmentacija, detekcija objekata i klasifikacija slika. Ovaj rad predstavlja metod segmentacije slike zasnovan na dubokom učenju za prepoznavanje polja vinograda, koja su značajan izvor poljoprivrednog otpada, korišćenjem daljinskih satelitskih snimaka. Predloženi pristup može značajno poboljšati pronalaženje i predviđanje izvora poljoprivrednog otpada i na taj način doprineti efikasnom i održivom korišćenju istog za proizvodnju biogasa

Fire prediction for a non-sanitary landfill “Bubanj” in Serbia

This paper reviews the state of the “Bubanj” landfill near the City of Niš, Serbia, which has been used for 47 years and which is categorized as a non-sanitary landfill. We utilised the LandGEM 3.02 model, used for estimating landfill gas emission rates, to calculate the amount of landfill gases. Additionally, we measured the amount and composition of landfill gas in section S4 of the landfill from July 2014 to June 2015. We utilised the ALOHA software to estimate the fire-vulnerable zone. The results of our analysis show that the measured average methane emission is higher than the calculated emission. The difference between the measured average emission and calculated emission of methane is logical, as the measurements were performed in an active section, where methane emission higher than in inactive sections is to be expected. Based on the measured methane emissions during one year, we conclude that the methane emission drops as the ambient temperature drops. This paper showcases the state of the “Bubanj” landfill, which is highly unsatisfactory in terms of environmental and fire protection because of landfill gas generation

Autophagy-independent increase of ATG5 expression in T cells of multiple sclerosis patients.

Autophagy, a process of controlled self-digestion which regulates cell homeostasis, is involved in innate and adaptive immunity. We investigated the expression of autophagy genes and autophagic activity in distinct lymphocyte populations in treatment-naive MS patients. The mRNA and protein levels of autophagy-related (ATG)5, required for autophagosome formation, were increased in CD4+and CD4-T cells, but not B cells of MS patients compared to control subjects. The expression of other investigated autophagy genes, as well as the autophagic activity, did not significantly differ between the two groups. ATG5 mRNA levels in CD4+T cells from MS patients were positively correlated with those of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor. These data suggest that autophagy-independent increase in ATG5 expression might be associated with the proinflammatory capacity of T cells in multiple sclerosis