Leaching of chromium from chromium contaminated soil: Speciation study and geochemical modeling

Distribution of chromium between soil and leachate was monitored. A natural process of percolating rainwater through the soil was simulated in the laboratory conditions and studied with column leaching extraction. Migration of chromium in the soil is conditioned by the level of chromium soil contamination, the soil organic matter content, and rainwater acidity. Chromium (III) and chromium(VI) were determined by spectrophotometric method with diphenilcarbazide in acidic media. Comparing the results of chromium speciation in leachate obtained by experimental model systems and geochemical modelling calculations using Visual MINTEQ model, a correlation was observed regarding the influence of the tested parameters. Leachate solutions showed that the concentration of Cr depended on the organic matter content. The influence of pH and soil organic matter content is in compliance after its definition through experimental and theoretical way. The computer model - Stockholm Humic Model used to evaluate the leaching results corresponded rather well with the measured values

Telemedicine in the Era of a Pandemic: Usefulness of a Novel Three-Lead ECG

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a first-line diagnostic tool for patients with cardiac symptoms. As observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECG is essential to the initial patient evaluation. The novel KardioPal three-lead-based ECG reconstructive technology provides a potential alternative to a standard ECG, reducing the response time and cost of treatment and improving patient comfort. Our study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a reconstructed 12-lead ECG obtained by the KardioPal technology, comparing it with the standard 12-lead ECG, and to assess the feasibility and time required to obtain a reconstructed ECG in a real-life scenario. A prospective, nonrandomized, single-center, adjudicator-blinded trial was conducted on 102 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Dedinje Cardiovascular Institute in Belgrade. The KardioPal system demonstrated a high feasibility rate (99%), with high specificity (96.3%), sensitivity (95.8%), and diagnostic accuracy (96.1%) for obtaining clinically relevant matching of reconstructed 12-lead compared to the standard 12-lead ECG recording. This novel technology provided a significant reduction in ECG acquisition time and the need for personnel and space for obtaining ECG recordings, thereby reducing the risk of viral transmission and the burden on an already overwhelmed healthcare system such as the one experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic

Using whole exome sequencing to explore genetic basis of unicuspid aortic valve disease

Normal aortic valve consists of three cusps that develop in the embryonic stage. Unicuspid aortic valve (UAV) is a rare congenital anomaly resulting in only one cusp with estimated prevalence of 0.02% in general population. Aim of this study was to identify genetic variants possibly associated with development of UAV. The study included 17 subjects, namely 5 UAV patients and their healthy family members without UAV disorder. Total DNA was isolated from venous blood samples and whole exomes sequencing (WES) was performed using BGI’s WES protocol. Adapter-trimmed and quality-filtered reads (fastp) were mapped to hg38 reference genome using BWA/SAMtools. VCF files were generated using GATK (BaseRecalibrator, HaplotypeCaller) and annotated with InterVar and AnnoVar tools. Rare heterozygous variants present in UAV patients were found in NOTCH1, TGFB2, MYH6, EGFR, FBN2, C1R, ROBO4 and TBX5, genes associated with development of aortic valves. Among these, most were missense mutations with damaging effects as predicted using in silico tools (SIFT and/or Polyphen). Only mutation in MYH6 p.Ala1130Ser was found in at least two different UAV patients. Also, rare homozygous missense mutation p.Gly577Ser with high damaging potential was found in ADAMTS5 gene. Besides, highly damaging heterozygous missense mutations were detected in gene interacting functional partners (STRING) of genes associated with development of aortic valves: DVL1, THBS1, NOTCH4, ADAMTS3, FBN1, NOTCH2, ADAM17, LRP5, WWTR1, C1S, ANKRD6 and TNNI1, as well as homozygous in ACAN and KNG1. Taken together, malfunctions in ADAMTS5, ACTA2, MYH6, FBN2, AXIN1, CELSR1 or TBX5 networks were found to be common in at least two UAV patients, suggesting existence of genetic basis in UAV disorder, possibly as a result of combined effects of multiple variants.Book of abstract: 4th Belgrade Bioinformatics Conference, June 19-23, 202

REVIZIJA JAVNOG SEKTORA, FUNKCIONISANjE I FINANSIRANjE JEDINICA LOKALNE SAMOUPRAVE

Funkcionisanje jedinica lokalne samouprave opredjeljujeukupno funkcionisanje javne sektora u jednom društvu.Uspješno funkcionisanje jedinica lokalne samouprave počivana osnovnim principima funkcionisanja javnog sektora kao štosu: regularnost, odgovornost, ekonomičnost, efikasnost,efektivnost, pravičnost, jednakost i transparentnost i dobrimupravljačkim praksama karakterističnim za upravljanje javnimsektorom.Veoma važnu ulogu u pogledu uspješnog funkcionisanjajedinica lokalne samouprave ima revizija javnog sektora.Angažman revizije javnog sektora u jedinicama lokalnesamouprave može se posmatrati kao angažman interne revizijei kao angažman eksterne revizije u institucionalnoj formivrhovne revizijske institucije. Relevantni standardi revizijeukazuju na potrebu koordiniranog djelovanja interne i eksternerevizije u javnom sektoru kako bi na taj način resursi revizijeracionalno koristili, a efekti rada revizije bili prepoznatljivi.Institut revizije kroz revizijske angažmane interne revizije ieksterne revizije može biti u funkciji uspješnog funkcionisanjai finansiranja jedinica lokalnih samouprava.Cilj rada je da se afirmiše uloga revizije javnog sektora upogledu uspostavljanja funkcionalne, kvalitetne, efikasne iefektivne, lokalne uprave u Republici Srpskoj. Ovaj rad ćeprikazati prisustvo revizije u jedinicama lokalne samouprave uRepublici Srpskoj, rezultate revizijskih angažmana, i ukazatina nužnost korišćenja rezultata revizije u pogledu jačanjafinansijskog upravljanja u jedinicama lokalne samouprave uRepublici Srpskoj

Decolorization of textile azo dye reactive orange 16 with UV/H2O2 process

The photochemical decolorization of C.I. Reactive Orange 16 (RO16), a reactive textile azo dye by the UV/H2O2 process using a batch photoreactor with UV lamps emitting at 253.7 nm, was studied. Complete decolorization of 50.0 mg dm-3 initial dye concentration was achieved in less than 6 min under optimal conditions (25 mM initial peroxide concentration, at pH 7.0 and with UV light intensity 1950 μW cm-2). The effect of experimental variables, such as initial pH, initial concentration of H2O2, initial dye concentration, and the intensity of UV light was studied. The highest decolorization rates were performed at peroxide concentration in range from 20 mM up to 40 mM, above which decolorization was inhibited by a scavenging effect of peroxide. The decolorization was more efficient in neutral pHs. The efficiency of the process was improved in lower initial dye concentration and at higher intensity of UV light

A simple method for preparation of secondary aromatic amines

A simple and efficient method for the preparation of secondary N-alkylarylamines via reductive amination of ketones with primary aromatic amines using activated zinc/acetic acid is described. It requires only equimolar amounts of the starting compounds and affords good yields of the corresponding amines (50-90%). It is not applicable to aldehydes nor aliphatic amines

The acid-base, morphological and structural properties of new biosorbent obtained by oxidative hydrothermal treatment of peat

Samples of natural peat (NP) were hydrothermally treated at different temperatures in oxidative and acidic aqueous medium to tailor their acid-base, adsorption, morphological and other properties. The obtained materials were thoroughly characterized by SEM, XRD and FTIR techniques, followed by determination of pH(pzc), examination of adsorption characteristics and the extent of organic matter leaching in water. Acid-base characteristics of these materials were examined by potentiometric and conductometric titration of corresponding aqueous suspensions. Experimental potentiometric data were interpreted using ProtoFit software (NEM, non-electrostatic model) which provided pKa values and concentrations of surface sites which are compared with corresponding values obtained by conductometric titration method. There are two main types of surface groups (carboxylic and phenolic) that are dominant in the materials and determine their acid-base behavior in the aqueous medium. Temperature during oxidative hydrothermal treatment has no significant effect on the total number of surface groups, but influences the ratio of carboxylic and phenol-type groups. Hence, acid-base properties of peat can be tailored, which is useful in designing and improving adsorptive characteristics of peat for the preferential removal of certain pollutants from water

Adsorption of cationic dye methylene blue onto activated carbon obtained from horse chestnut kernel

Horse chestnut kernel was used as the precursor for the preparation of powdered activated carbon using phosphoric acid as the activating agent. Batch adsorption experiments for the adsorption of cationic dye methylene blue from aqueous solutions were carried out using the obtained carbon as adsorbent. Equilibrium and kinetic experiments were conducted. The equilibrium data were fitted with the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin theoretical isotherm models. The best results was obtained in the case of Langmuir model, which indicates that monolayer adsorption occurs on finite number of the active adsorption sites on the carbon surface. The kinetic data were fitted with pseudo-first, pseudo-second, Elovich and interparticle diffusion model. Pseudo-second order model and Elovich model showed the best results of the kinetic data. The increasing of the solution pH led to a higher uptake of methylene blue due to the fact that competitive adsorption of methylene blue cation and proton exists in acidic solutions. The adsorption capacity for methylene blue in equilibrium study was significant (168.93 mg g-1). Comparison of the adsorption capacities of methylene blue onto activated carbons derived from various alternative precursors proves chestnut kernel to be efficient and low-cost material which could be substantially deployed in the future