Limits to the European Union’s Normative Power in a Post-conflict Society: EULEX and Peacebuilding in Kosovo

Peacebuilding; EULEX; Kosovo; European Union; Conflict prevention; Normative power; Post-conflict; IECE

Mineralogical and chemical characteristics of black coatings in Postojna cave system

Mineralogical and chemical analyses of black coatings from two sites in Postojna cave system were studied. Scattered samples were taken from the entrance parts of the cave and from Črna Jama. Thin sections, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM/EDS) were used. Microscopic investigation of thin sections of black coloured material from both locations revealed that the main material is carbonate – calcite, with evenly dispersed prevailingly minute opaque black grains. The XRD analysis on samples from both locations confirmed just a presence of calcite with minor quartz and dolomite, excluding Mn and Fe oxides or apatite-group minerals as reason for black colouring. The SEM/EDS analysis of samples from the entrance parts of Postojna cave system was consistent with XRD analysis, which did not show any Mn oxides. The high content of C measured in the black coatings from the cave entrance parts indicates organic C, which deposited on the cave walls at time of the petrol explosion during WW2. We can attribute black coatings from Črna Jama to one form of organic C as well, but it is certainly different from the one in the entrance parts of Postojna cave system. As in Črna Jama no other evidence indicates for old human inhabitation of the place: torches of first tourists are a more probable origin of charcoal. On both locations black coatings can be at least partly described by microclimate conditions at cave entrances, which caused the deposition of organic material of allogenic origin (for example soot due to the forest fires)

High Incidence of an Emerging Opportunistic Pathogen <em>Candida parapsilosis</em> in Water-Related Domestic Environments

Candidiasis is one of the common fungal opportunistic infections, usually associated with diverse Candida species. Candida albicans, C. glabrata complex, C. parapsilosis complex, C. tropicalis and C. auris are often identified in affected patients. Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto is an emerging cause of hospital-acquired Candida infections, predominantly in Southern Europe, South America and Asia. Home environment is a less known source of infection despite frequent isolation of C. parapsilosis from kitchen surfaces and household appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators. C. parapsilosis is one of the first colonisers of novel dishwashers and a member of stable fungal communities on rubber seals worldwide in concentrations up to 102 CFU/cm2. It colonises also drawers for detergents in washing machines and drainage channels in refrigerators. Tap water and groundwater act as vector for entrance of C. parapsilosis in the indoor environments. Within C. parapsilosis, four clinically relevant phenotypes can be distinguished. Experimental data on the prevalence of C. parapsilosis isolates phenotypes, obtained from indoor environments, will be presented. Smooth phenotype prevails in dishwashers and washing machines, while crepe and crater dominate in water. In conclusion, the ability to colonise diverse environments and accordingly switch phenotypes defines C. parapsilosis as a versatile, domestic environment-related opportunistic pathogen

Opis nove vrste, Phoxinellus dalmaticus (Cyprinidae: Leuciscinae), iz rijeke Čikole u slivu rijeke Krke, Jadranski bazen (Hrvatska)

Phoxinellus dalmaticus, new species, is described from the Čikola River in the Krka River system in Croatia. It is distinguished from congeners by a suite of characters which includes a naked body with scales only in a relatively short, often interrupted, lateral line series (sq. l. 18–44) formed from both pored (l. l. 16–29) and unpored scales, a low number of vertebrae (37 or 38 total) with 21 vertebrae in the abdominal and 16 or 17 in the caudal region, a shallowly forked caudal fin with considerably rounded lobes and the lack of a foramen between the cleithrum and coracoid.Nova vrsta Phoxinellus dalmaticus opisana je iz rijeke Čikole u slivu rijeke Krke u Hrvatskoj. Razlikuje se od srodnih vrsta nizom osobina koje uključuju golo tijelo s ljuskama samo u relativno kratkoj, često isprekidanoj lateralnoj seriji linija (sq. l. 18–44), koje čine ljuske s porama (l. l. 16–29) i bez njih, mali broj kralježaka (ukupno 37 ili 38) s 21 kralješkom u abdominalnom i 16 ili 17 u kaudalnom dijelu, plitko urezana repna peraja sa znatno zaobljenim režnjevima i nepostojanje otvora između kleitruma i korakoidne kosti

Environmental impact of dusting from the Koper port bulk cargo terminal on the agricultural soils

Areas around seaports are prone to environmental damage. In the port of Koper, Slovenia hematite was transhipped during a strong wind. The broader area was accidentally covered with hematite dust. Since the soils had already been geochemically mapped, we repeated the sampling to compare the geochemical composition of the topsoil. No soil contamination was established. The enrichment factors show depletion of majority of elements. According to the distances from the dust source, SiO2, Na2O and Cr have decreasing, and Fe2O3 increasing trends. The SiO2 and Cr content correspond to the concentration of quartz rich sand, and the dissolution of carbonate closer to the sea. Co and Ni are probably bound to the clay minerals. Cu, Pb, and Zn could have some anthropogenic contribution

Synergistic interactions in microbial biofilms facilitate the establishment of opportunistic pathogenic fungi in household dishwashers

Biofilms formed on rubber seals in dishwashers harbor diverse microbiota. In this study, we focussed on the microbial composition of bacteria and fungi, isolated from a defined area of one square centimeter of rubber from four domestic dishwashers and assessed their abilities to in vitro multispecies biofilm formation. A total of 80 isolates (64 bacterial and 16 fungal) were analyzed. Multiple combinations of bacterial isolates from each dishwasher were screened for synergistic interactions. 32 out of 140 tested (23%) four-species bacterial combinations displayed consistent synergism leading to an overall increase in biomass, in all experimental trails. Bacterial isolates from two of the four dishwashers generated a high number of synergistically interacting four-species consortia. Network based correlation analyses also showed higher co-occurrence patterns observed between bacterial members in the same two dishwasher samples, indicating cooperative effects. Furthermore, two synergistic fourspecies bacterial consortia were tested for their abilities to incorporate an opportunistic fungal pathogen, Exophiala dermatitidis and their establishment as biofilms on sterile ethylene propylene diene monomer M-class (EPDM) rubber and polypropylene (PP) surfaces. When the bacterial consortia included E. dermatitidis, the overall cell numbers of both bacteria and fungi increased and a substantial increase in biofilm biomass was observed. These results indicate a novel phenomenon of cross kingdom synergy in biofilm formation and these observations could have potential implications for human health

Microbial diversity and putative opportunistic pathogens in dishwasher biofilm communities

Extreme habitats are not only limited to natural environments, but also exist in manmade systems, for instance, household appliances such as dishwashers. Limiting factors, such as high temperatures, high and low pHs, high NaCl concentrations, presence of detergents, and shear force from water during washing cycles, define microbial survival in this extreme system. Fungal and bacterial diversity in biofilms isolated from rubber seals of 24 different household dishwashers was investigated using next-generation sequencing. Bacterial genera such as Pseudomonas, Escherichia, and Acinetobacter, known to include opportunistic pathogens, were represented in most samples. The most frequently encountered fungal genera in these samples belonged to Candida, Cryptococcus, and Rhodotorula, also known to include opportunistic pathogenic representatives. This study showed how specific conditions of the dishwashers impact the abundance of microbial groups and investigated the interkingdom and intrakingdom interactions that shape these biofilms. The age, usage frequency, and hardness of incoming tap water of dishwashers had significant impact on bacterial and fungal community compositions. Representatives of Candida spp. were found at the highest prevalence (100%) in all dishwashers and are assumed to be one of the first colonizers in recently purchased dishwashers. Pairwise correlations in tested microbiomes showed that certain bacterial groups cooccur, as did the fungal groups. In mixed bacterial-fungal biofilms, early adhesion, contact, and interactions were vital in the process of biofilm formation, where mixed complexes of bacteria and fungi could provide a preliminary biogenic structure for the establishment of these biofilms. IMPORTANCE Worldwide demand for household appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, is increasing, as is the number of immunocompromised individuals. The harsh conditions in household dishwashers should prevent the growth of most microorganisms. However, our research shows that persisting polyextremotolerant groups of microorganisms in household appliances are well established under these unfavorable conditions and supported by the biofilm mode of growth. The significance of our research is in identifying the microbial composition of biofilms formed on dishwasher rubber seals, how diverse abiotic conditions affect microbiota, and which key microbial members were represented in early colonization and contamination of dishwashers, as these appliances can present a source of domestic cross-contamination that leads to broader medical impacts

Provenance of the Early Bronze Age Greenstone Axes from Monkodonja

U članku su prikazana tri ulomka kamenih sjekira s gradine Monkodonja, za koje je obavljena petrografska analiza. Prikazani su načini analize i dobiveni rezultati o vrsti i porijeklu kamena. Sirovine za njihovu izradu - žad, serpentinit i metadijabaz - potječu iz različitih izvora. Ti su materijali najčešće u uporabi kroz mlađi neolitik i eneolitik, a na Monkodonji je njihovo korištenje datirano još barem kroz prvu polovicu 2. tisućljeća pr. n. e.This article covers three fragments of stone axes from the hillfort of Monkodonja, for which a petrographical analysis was performed. Shown here are the methods employed for this analysis and the obtained results regarding the types and origins of stone. The raw materials used for their manufacture, jade, serpentinite and meta-diabase, stem from different sources. Most often these materials were in use throughout the Late Neolithic and Eneolithic, and in the case of Monkodonja, their use was also dated at least through the first half of the 2nd millennium BC

The extremely halotolerant black yeast Hortaea werneckii - a model for intraspecific hybridization in clonal fungi

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