Aquatic plant Trapa natans L. as bioindicator of trace metal contamination in freshwater lake (Skadar Lake, Montenegro)

Skadar Lake is the largest shallow lake in the southeastern Europe. It is located within a National Park, and is included in the Ramsar list of international important wetlands, so its preservation and protection from pollution is very important. Aim of this study was to investigate bioaccumulation of ecotoxic metals Cd, Pb and Cr from sediments of the Skadar Lake in the aquatic mycrophyte Trapa nantas L. Samples of sediment and plants were collected at nine locations covering all major water inputs to the lake as well as locations where contamination could be expected. Obtained results indicate that sediments from the Skadar Lake are only locally contaminated with Cd (0.03-1.18 mgkg-1), generally contaminated with Cr (15.8-180 mgkg-1), the concentrations of both elements frequently exceeding sediment quality guidelines, while concentrations of Pb were low (2.7-17.4 mgkg-1). The highest bioaccumulation of all metals from sediment to Trapa nantas L. was observed in the root, with the accumulation efficiency decreasing in the order Cd>Cr>Pb. Translocation from root to stem was also higher for Cd than for Cr and Pb, while the translocation from stem to leaf was comparable for all three metals. From the three investigated metals Cd showed the highest mobility. Obtained results indicated that Trapa natans L. may be a very promising bioindicator of trace metals contamination in the Skadar Lake

Toksin genotipizacija sojeva Clostridium perfringens izolovanih iz hrane za životinje i njihov značaj u etiologiji enterotoksemija domaćih životinja

Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive, endospore-forming, anaerobic rod, ubiquitous in nature. C. perfringens strains can produce about 17 toxins. Many of them can lead to miscellaneous diseases, among which the enteric ailment may be the most common and is of utmost importance. In the present work 34 strains of C. perfringens isolated from feed and one from a cow suspected to have died of clostridial infection were subjected to molecular analysis. In order to detect the genotypes, the following genes coding for toxins were targetted: cpa, cpb, cpb2, cpe, etx and iap. The multiplex PCR assay revealed that all C. perfringens isolates from animal feed were of type A and b2-toxinogenic type A strains, possessing only the cpa (n=21), or both the cpa and the cpb2 genes (n=13). The importance of C. perfringens toxins α and β-2 in the pathogenesis of enterotoxemia is discussed and the regulation on the detection of this bacteria in animal feed questioned. The use of PCR in practise could enable the toxin-genotyping of C. perfringens isolates and, thus, provide a real basis for the establishment of maximum acceptable limits of this bacteria in feed.Clostridium perfringens je Gram-pozitivna, anaerobna, sporulišuća, štapićasta bakterija, ubikvitarno rasprostranjena u prirodi. Kod različitih sojeva C. Perfringens, do danas, identifikovano je oko 17 vrsta toksina. C. perfringens je uzročni agens različitih oboljenja (sindroma), ali su crevne infekcije/intoksikacije najčešće i od najvećeg značaja za zdravlje farmski gajenih životinja. U ovom radu prikazujemo rezultate ispitivanja sojeva C. perfringens poreklom iz hrane za životinje (n=34) i jednog izolata iz organa krave uginule sa znacima enterotoksemije na prisustvo gena: cpa, cpb, cpb2, cpe, etx i iap primenom multipleks PCR tehnike. Svi sojevi C. perfringens izolovani iz hrane za životinje, identifikovani su kao tip A koji poseduje samo cpa gen (n=21) ili tip A koji produkuje b2-toksin, odnosno ima cpa i cpb2 gene (n=13). U radu diskutujemo o ulozi alfa (α) i beta-2 (β2) toksina u patogenezi enterotoksemija domaćih životinja, kao i aktuelnom zakonskom propisu po kojem ova vrsta bakterije ne sme biti prisutna u hrani za životinje. Primena PCR tehnike u svakodnevnoj praksi omogućila bi toksin-genotipizaciju sojeva C. perfringens, a time i realne osnove za uspostavljanje graničnih dozvoljenih vrednosti za ovu vrstu bakterije u hrani za životinje

Multi-criteria analysis of soil pollution by heavy metals in the vicinity of the Copper Smelting Plant in Bor (Serbia)

This study highlights the consequences on soil pollution of one hund­red years of manufacturing in the Copper Mining and Smelting Complex RTB-Bor (Serbia). Soil sediments were taken via a probe from the surface layer of the soil at twelve different measuring points. The measuring points were all within 20 km of the smelting plant, which included both urban and rural zones. Soil sampling was performed using a soil core sampler in such way that a core of a soil of radius 5 cm and depth of 30 cm was removed. Subsequently, the samples were analyzed for pH and heavy metal concentrations (Cu, Pb, As, Cd, Mn, Ni and Hg) using different spectrometric methods. The obtained results for the heavy metal contents in the samples show high values: 2,540 mg kg-1 Cu; 230 mg kg-1 Pb; 6 mg kg-1 Cd; 530 mg kg-1 Ni; 1,300 mg kg-1 Mn; 260 mg kg-1 As and 0.3 mg kg-1 Hg. In this study, critical zones of polluted soil were iden­tified and ranked according to their metal contents by the multi-criteria deci­sion method Preference Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation/Geo­metrical Analysis for Interactive Assistance – PROMETHEE/GAIA, which is the preferred multivariate method commonly used in chemometric studies. The ranking results clearly showed that the most polluted zones are at locations holding the vital functions of the town. Therefore, due to the high bioavail­abi­lity of heavy metals through com­plex reactions with organic species in the sediments, consequences for human health could drastically emerge if these metals enter the food chain

Risk factors for brain metastases in surgically staged IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Introduction/Aim. Lung cancer is a leading cause of mortality among patients with carcinomas. The aim of this study was to point out risk factors for brain metastases (BM) appearance in patients with IIIA (N2) stage of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with three-modal therapy. Methods. We analyzed data obtained from 107 patients with IIIA (N2) stage of NSCLC treated surgically with neoadjuvant therapy. The frequency of brain metastases was examined regarding age, sex, histological type and the size of tumor, nodal status, the sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy application and the type of chemotherapy. Results. Two and 3-year incidence rates of BM were 35% and 46%, respectively. Forty-six percent of the patients recurred in the brain as their first failure in the period of three years. Histologically, the patients with nonsquamous cell lung carcinoma had significantly higher frequency of metastases in the brain compared with the group of squamous cell lung carcinoma (46% : 30%; p = 0.021). Examining treatment-related parameters, treatment with taxane-platinum containing regimens was associated with a lower risk of brain metastases, than platinum-etoposide chemotherapy regimens (31% : 52%; p = 0.011). Preoperative radiotherapy, with or without postoperative treatment, showed lower rate of metastases in the brain compared with postoperative radiotherapy treatment only (33% : 48%; p = 0.035). Conclusion. Brain metastases are often site of recurrence in patients with NSCLC (IIIA-N2). Autonomous risk factors for brain metastases in this group of patients are non-squamous NSCLC, N1-N2 nodal status, postoperative radiotherapy without preoperative radiotherapy

Ostvarivanje zdravstvene zaštite u domu zdravlja

Health care is realized in health institutions and other forms of health care. In health-house primary health care is realized. The aim of the study is to comprehend amount of health care realization in health-houses related to territorial parts of Serbia, type of settlement, sex, age, education and wealthy state of population. Data of extensive inquiry held by Institute for public health of Serbia were analyzed. The results show that Serbian population often use health-house services. Physicians were visited by 60.4% of school children, that was averagely two visits per child. Dentists were visited by 63.7% of school children, that was 2.1 visits per child. The adults in 54.2% visited their physician, that was three visits per inhabitant, and with 30.7% visited their dentist, that was one visit per inhabitant. All these services were more often in urban population, women, older and richer inhabitants. Related to sex, remarkably greater number of health services was used by women, in the last year, as well as in past years. The biggest number of services was used in Vojvodina and Belgrade by old population. Services of specialists used 29.7% of Serbian population, with one service per inhabitant. Services of the ambulance used about 5% of inhabitants, with average waiting for 25 minutes. Patients most often waited 15 30 minutes, and only 6.5% waited more than 60 minutes. For specialists' examinations, laboratory, X-rays and electrocardiogram patients didn't wait, or waited up to seven days. Patients waited the longest time for examination of rheumatologist, physiater and urologist.Zdravstvena zaštita se ostvaruje u zdravstvenim ustanovama i drugim oblicima zdravstvene zaštite. U domu zdravlja pruža se uglavnom primarna zdravstvena zaštita, a domovi zdravlja su i najodgovorniji za ostvarivanje primarne zdravstvene zaštite. Cilj rada jeste da se izuči i sagleda obim ostvarivanja zdravstvene zaštite u domu zdravlja, i to po teritorijalnim delovima Srbije, tipu naselja, polu, uzrastu, obrazovanju i imućnom stanju stanovnika. U ostvarivanju tog cilja analizirani su podaci ekstenzivnog anketnog istraživanja koje je sproveo Institut za javno zdravlje Srbije. Rezultati su pokazali da stanovništvo Srbije često koristi usluge doma zdravlja. Tako su školska deca u 60,4% slučajeva bila kod lekara i učinila prosečno dve posete po detetu. Kod stomatologa je bilo 63,7% dece, učinivši 2,1 posete po detetu. Odraslo stanovništvo Srbije je u 54,2% slučajeva bilo kod lekara opšte medicine, sa prosečno tri posete po stanovniku, a kod stomatologa je bilo 30,7%, i učinilo prosečno jednu posetu po stanovniku. Sve ove usluge češće su kod gradskog stanovništva, žena, starijih i imućnijih stanovnika. Posmatrano po polu, znatno veći broj usluga koristile su žene, kako u poslednjoj, tako i u prethodnim godinama. Najveći broj usluga korišćen je u Vojvodini i Beogradu, i od strane starijeg stanovništva. Usluge specijalističke službe doma zdravlja koristilo je 29,7% stanovnika Srbije, sa prosečno jednom uslugom po stanovniku. Usluge, pak, hitne medicinske pomoći koristilo je oko 5% stanovnika, sa prosečnim čekanjem od 25 minuta. Najčešće čekanje bilo je 15 do 30 minuta, a više od 60 minuta čekalo je samo 6,5% stanovnika. Specijalističke preglede i usluge laboratorije, rendgena i EKG-a najčešće se nisu čekale, ili su se čekale do sedam dana. Najduže se čekalo na pregled kod reumatologa, fizijatra i urologa

First Record of Fossil Fish (Enchodontoidei, Actinopterygii) in the Struganik Quarry in Western Serbia

This paper presents the first Upper Cretaceous remains of fish in Serbia, discovered near the village of Struganik. This is also the first described find of Mesozoic fish in Serbia. A stone slab with visible contours of an almost complete fish, with a total body length of about 20 cm, was excavated from the Struganik quarry. Most bones are preserved as imprints. The number of vertebrae, the shape and position of the cranial bones, the type of teeth, and the position of the first dorsal fin all indicate that the studied specimen belongs to the genus Enchodus known from several Upper Cretaceous localities in the Tethys domain © 2022, Geoloski Anali Balkanskoga Poluostrva.All Rights Reserved

Supplementary data for the article: Pavlović, M.; Tadić, A.; Gligorijević, N.; Poljarević, J.; Petrović, T.; Dojčinović, B.; Savić, A.; Radulović, S.; Grgurić-Šipka, S.; Aranđelović, S. Synthesis, Chemical Characterization, PARP Inhibition, DNA Binding and Cellular Uptake of Novel Ruthenium(II)-Arene Complexes Bearing Benzamide Derivatives in Human Breast Cancer Cells. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 2020, 210, 111155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2020.111155

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2020.111155]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4048

The Effects of Antioxidants Provided with Feed on Certain Quality Parameters of Bull Semen under Heat Stress Conditions

The aim of the current research was to assess the effects of the feed additive made of lyophilised melon juice (source of superoxide dismutase, SOD) and inactivated live Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain R397) cells added to the feed via the product containing high levels of organically bound selenium (source of selenium-dependant glutathione peroxidase, Se-GPx) on the semen quality of bulls in heat stress conditions. The 15 bulls chosen for the experiment were assigned to three equal groups (control-group C; treated group M, given the source of SOD; and group A, treated with the source of Se-GPx). The research was conducted in summer. The activities of SOD and Se-GPx in seminal plasma were determined spectrophotometrically. Computer-assisted semen analysis was done to determine the sperm counts, motility and velocity. The temperature and humidity were recorded with a digital data logger. The average SOD activity in the control bulls was significantly lower than in M (p0.05). In all of the three groups with the increase in THI there was an increase in GPx activity (p>0.05). It can be concluded that in all of the three groups of bulls there was an increase in the activity of both enzymes in the seminal plasma, but the increase was significantly lower in the control. Thus, the antioxidative capacity of the seminal plasma of untreated bulls was proven to be lower in comparison with those of the treated animals