A Mumps Outbreak in Vojvodina, Serbia, in 2012 Underlines the Need for Additional Vaccination Opportunities for Young Adults

In 2012, mumps was introduced from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Vojvodina, causing an outbreak with 335 reported cases. The present manuscript analyses the epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of this outbreak, identifies its main causes and suggests potential future preventive measures. Sera of 133 patients were tested for mumps-specific antibodies by ELISA and 15 nose/throat swabs were investigated for mumps virus RNA by RT-PCR. IgG antibodies were found in 127 patients (95.5%). Mumps infection was laboratory-confirmed in 53 patients, including 44 IgM and 9 PCR positive cases. All other 282 cases were classified as epidemiologically-confirmed. More than half of the patients (n = 181, 54%) were 20-29 years old, followed by the 15-19 age bracket (n = 95, 28.4%). Twice as many males as females were affected (67% versus 33%). Disease complications were reported in 13 cases (3.9%), including 9 patients with orchitis and 4 with pancreatitis. According to medical records or anamnestic data, 190 patients (56.7%) were immunized with two doses and 35 (10.4%) with one dose of mumps-containing vaccine. The Serbian sequences corresponded to a minor genotype G variant detected during the 2011/2012 mumps outbreak in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vaccine failures, the initial one-dose immunization policy and a vaccine shortage between 1999 and 2002 contributed to the outbreak. Additional vaccination opportunities should be offered to young adults during transition periods in their life trajectories

Review of Synthesis and Antioxidant Potential of Fullerenol Nanoparticles

This review describes the chemical synthesis of polar polyhydroxylated fullerene C60 derivatives, fullerenols C60(OH)n, 2≤n≤44, C60HzOx(OH)y, and polyanion fullerenols C60(OH)15(ONa)9, ranging from the very first synthetic methods up to some contemporary approaches to synthesis and separation. It also provides some basic information about physical characteristics of fullerenols. With the increasing number of hydroxyl groups, water solubility of fullerenols increases as well. Fullerenols both in water and biological media build nanoparticles of different dimensions and stability. In different chemical and biological model systems a large number of various polyhydroxylated fullerene derivatives were tested and they showed both their antioxidative and prooxidative characteristics. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the antioxidant activity of fullerenol. In addition, this paper also provides insight into patents referring to the antioxidant properties of fullerenol

Nutrition and Physical Activity as Modulators of Osteosarcopenic Adiposity: A Scoping Review and Recommendations for Future Research

Osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA) syndrome denotes the confluence of bone, muscle, and adipose tissue deterioration. Being a complex entity, numerous uncertainties about OSA still exist, despite the extensive research on the topic. Our objectives were to evaluate human studies addressing dietary intake/nutritional status and the quantity/types of physical activity related to OSA. The search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted to examine relevant articles published from inception to the end of December 2022, utilizing the MeSH strings in the search strategy. Only studies published in English and conducted in humans (≥18 years) without chronic conditions (cancers, kidney/liver disease) or pregnancy were used. Book chapters, abstracts-only, and studies in which participants did not have all three body composition components measured to identify OSA or when body composition components could not be related to the independent/exposure variables were excluded. A total of n = 1020 articles were retrieved from all three databases and eight more from the reference lists. After the exclusion of duplicates and other unsuitable articles, n = 23 studies were evaluated. Among those, eleven were from epidemiological or cross-sectional studies relating nutrients/dietary intake or nutritional status with OSA. Another four examined the relationship between serum biomarkers (vitamin D and ferritin) with OSA, while eight articles presented the results of the interventional studies with resistance training. Overall, higher protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamins D and C intakes emerged as nutrients positively modifying OSA, along with a diet higher in fruits and low-fat dairy foods. Higher serum vitamin D and ferritin were respectively positively and negatively related to OSA. Resistance training was a safe intervention yielding several beneficial outcomes for the OSA syndrome in older women

Serological status of 133 mumps patients reported in Vojvodina between January and June 2012 according to age group.

<p>Serological status of 133 mumps patients reported in Vojvodina between January and June 2012 according to age group.</p

Classification of all 335 mumps cases reported from Vojvodina between January and June 2012.

<p>*no IgM positives among them</p><p>Classification of all 335 mumps cases reported from Vojvodina between January and June 2012.</p

Testing algorithm of clinical samples.

<p>Testing algorithm of clinical samples.</p

Number of mumps cases reported in Vojvodina between January and June 2012 according to age group and gender.

<p>Number of mumps cases reported in Vojvodina between January and June 2012 according to age group and gender.</p

Laboratory results and characteristics of 15 mumps patients with specimens for molecular detection.

<p>^a equivocal</p><p>Laboratory results and characteristics of 15 mumps patients with specimens for molecular detection.</p