Oxidative stress is reduced in Wistar rats exposed to smoke from tobacco and treated with specific broad-band pulse electromagnetic fields

There have been a number of attempts to reduce the oxidative radical burden of tobacco. A recently patented technology, pulse electromagnetic technology, has been shown to induce differential action of treated tobacco products versus untreated products on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo. In a 90-day respiratory toxicity study, Wistar rats were exposed to cigarette smoke from processed and unprocessed tobacco and biomarkers of oxidative stress were compared with pathohistological analysis of rat lungs. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was decreased in a dose-dependent manner to 81% in rats exposed to smoke from normal cigarettes compared to rats exposed to treated smoke or the control group. These results correspond to pathohistological analysis of rat lungs, in which those rats exposed to untreated smoke developed initial signs of emphysema, while rats exposed to treated smoke showed no pathology, as in the control group. The promise of inducing an improved health status in humans exposed to smoke from treated cigarettes merits further investigation

The nutritive value of poultry diets containing sunflower meal supplemented by enzymes

The international limitations imposed on the utilization of meat and bone meals in animal diets, together with the increasing demand for soybean meal, create a necessity to search for other protein sources to economically balance compound feeds. In this regard it is important to note that sunflower is the best adapted high-protein crop available in some European regions and that is useful to use it in poultry farming as the replacement of other protein sources. Protein and many other nutrients are “imprisoned” to variable degrees, inside sunflower meal fibrous structures, and remain less available for digestion by the poultry’s own proteases and other endogenous enzymes. Added exogenous enzymes (phytase, hemicellulase, cellulase, carbohydrase, protease, etc.) offer a number of creative possibilities for breakdown and “liberation” of these nutrients, their easier digestion and absorption, and thus development of new nutritional standards and new diets formulation. Supplementation of poultry diets containing sunflower meal by different enzymes increasingly contribute to sustainable poultry farming by enhancing production efficiency, increasing the effectiveness of nutrient utilization and upgrading in environmental protection. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III46012

Determination of air and hydrofoil pressure coefficient by laser doppler anemometry

Some results of experiments performed in water cavitation tunnel are presented. Pressure coefficient (Cp) was experimentally determined by Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) measurements. Two models were tested: model of airplane G4 (Super Galeb) and hydrofoil of high speed axial pump. These models are not prepared for conventional pressure measurements, so that LDA is applied for Cp determination. Numerical results were obtained using a code for average Navier-Stokes equations solutions. Comparisons between computational and experimental results prove the effectiveness of the LDA. The advantages and disadvantages of LDA application are discussed. Flow visualization was made by air bubbles

Transcriptional profiling of mouse peripheral nerves to the single-cell level to build a sciatic nerve ATlas (SNAT)

Peripheral nerves are organ-like structures containing diverse cell types to optimize function. This interactive assembly includes mostly axon-associated Schwann cells, but also endothelial cells of supporting blood vessels, immune system-associated cells, barrier-forming cells of the perineurium surrounding and protecting nerve fascicles, and connective tissue-resident cells within the intra-fascicular endoneurium and inter-fascicular epineurium. We have established transcriptional profiles of mouse sciatic nerve-inhabitant cells to foster the fundamental understanding of peripheral nerves. To achieve this goal, we have combined bulk RNA sequencing of developing sciatic nerves up to the adult with focused bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing of Schwann cells throughout postnatal development, extended by single-cell transcriptome analysis of the full sciatic nerve both perinatally and in the adult. The results were merged in the transcriptome resource Sciatic Nerve ATlas (SNAT: https://www.snat.ethz.ch). We anticipate that insights gained from our multi-layered analysis will serve as valuable interactive reference point to guide future studies

Prisustvo deoksinivalenola u ozimoj pšenici tretiranoj s fungicidima

Natural occurrence of Fusarium spp. and concentrations of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in the grain of the winter wheat moderately susceptible to Fusarium head blight (FHB) has been studied. Grain samples were collected from wheat crops intended mainly for human consumption. All wheat crops were treated with fungicides before (a.i. flutriafol - formulated as Fluoco, applied in dose of 0.5 l ha-1) and during the flowering phase of growing (a.i. thiophanate-methyl + epoxiconazole formulated as Eskorta plus and a.i. thiophanate-methyl formulated as Funomil, applied in doses of 0.75 and 0.5 l ha-1, respectivily). Among of Fusarium species only F. graminearum, as a well known producer of DON, was identified. This fungus was identified in 15 of 19 samples (78.9%) with incidence in positive samples of 2 to 28% (average, 14.0%). Presence of DON was established in 13 of a total 19 investigated wheat grain samples (68.4%). In positive samples DON was detected in concentrations from 69 to 918 μg kg-1 (average, 478 μg kg-1). DON showed a significant and positive correlation at P≥0.05 with grain moisture content (r = 0.52*). Between the frequency of F. graminearum and concentration of DON and between the frequency of F. graminearum and grain moisture content, positive correlation was determined, but without statistical significance (r = 0.44 and r = 0.29, respectively).U radu je proučavana prirodna pojava Fusarium spp. i koncentracija mikotoksina deoksinivalenola (DON) u zrnu ozime pšenice srednje osetljive prema fuzariozi klasa (FHB). Uzorci zrna su prikupljeni sa proizvodnih useva pšenice namenjene uglavnom za ljudsku upotrebu. Svi usevi pšenice bili su tretirani sa fungicidima pre (a.m. flutriafol - formulisana kao preparat Fluoco, primenjen u dozi 0,5 l ha-1) i tokom cvetanja biljaka (a.m. tiofanat-metil + epoksikonazol formulisana kao preparat Eskorta plus i a.m. tiofanat-metil formulisana kao Funomil, primenjeni u dozi 0.75 i 0.5 l ha-1, respektivno). Među Fusarium vrstama jedino je identifikovana F. graminearum, koja je poznati producent DON. Ova gljiva je bila identifikovana u 15 od 19 uzoraka (78.9%) sa incidencom od 2 do 28% (prosek 14.0%) u pozitivnim uzorcima. Prisustvo DON je utvrđeno u 13 od ukupno 19 proučavanih uzoraka pšenice (68.4%). U pozitivnim uzorcima DON je detektovan u koncentracijama od 69 do 918 μg kg-1 (prosek 478 μg kg-1). DON je pokazao značajnu i pozitivnu korelaciju pri P≥0.05 sa sadržajem vlage zrna (r = 0.52*). Između učestalosti F. graminearum i koncentracije DON i učestalosti F. graminearum i sadržaja vlage zrna utvrđena je, takođe, pozitivna korelacija ali statistički nije značajna (r = 0.44 i r = 0.29, respektivno)

THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHIATRY IN SERBIA

The authors present the development of the concept of mental disease and treatment in Serbian medicine. Serbian medieval medicine did not acknowledge fortune telling, sorcery, the use of amulets and magical rituals and formulas. These progressive concepts were confirmed by the Church and the Serbian state in what is known as Dušan’s Code. The Historical data on the establishment of the first psychiatric hospital in the Balkans “Home for the Unsound of Mind” at Guberevac, Belgrade, in 1861 and its founders is reviewed. After World War I, in 1923, the Faculty of Medicine was established in Belgrade to which the coryphaei of Serbian medicine educated in Europe, mostly in France and Germany, flocked and that same year the Psychiatry Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade was set up. Its first seat was on the premises of the Mental Hospital in Belgrade, and it became a training base and laid the foundations of the future Neuropsychiatry Clinic in Belgrade, which in time evolved into the nursery of psychiatric professionals for all of Serbia. The most important data on the further development of psychiatry up to date are presented

The ultrastructural investigation of mitochondria in B-CLL cells during apoptosis

BACKGROUND: B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is an example of human malignancy caused by alternations in the pathways of apoptosis. Mitochondria play a critical role in the regulation of this process. The B-CLL cells dying in apoptosis showed typical morphological characteristics: the reduction of the nuclear volume is accompanied with the reduction of the cytoplasmatic volume, while many of organelles remain intact. The aim of our study was ultrastructural investigation of mitochondrial morphology in apoptotic B- CLL cells. METHODS: Our study included peripheral blood samples from 32 B-CLL patients. The samples were fixed in 4% glutar-aldehyde buffered in 0.1 cacodylate buffer and postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide in the same buffer. The specimens were dehydrated in a graded series of alcohol and embedded in EPON 812. The ultra-thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Ultrastructural analysis of sections was performed on Philips electron microscope 208S at 80 kV. RESULTS: The most frequent mitochondrial abnormalities in apoptotic B-CLL cells were a reduction of size with a hyperdensity of their matrix (mitochondrial pyknosis), or markedly swollen mitochondria with peripherally placed, disorientated, and disintegrated cristae. In some apoptotic cells, we also detected close association of mitochondria with loops of rough endoplasmatic reticulum. CONCLUSION: The results of our study showed the numerous of mitochondria damages in B-CLL cells during apoptotic process. The correlation between ultrastructural damage and functional activity of mitochondria in apoptotic B-CLL cells is still not clear and requires further investigation

Tetraoxanes as inhibitors of apicomplexan parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii growth and anti-cancer molecules

New cyclohexylidene 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes with polar guanidine and urea based groups were synthesized and evaluated for their antimalarial activity against chloroquine resistant and susceptible Plasmodium falciparum strains. The derivatives showed moderate, nM range antimalarial activities and low cytotoxicity. The N-phenylurea derivative 24 exhibited the best resistance indices (RIW2 = 0.44, RITM91C235 = 0.80) and was not toxic against human normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (IC50 gt 200 mu M). Seven derivatives were tested in vitro against four human cancer cell lines and they demonstrated high selectivity toward leukaemia K562 cells. One compound, derivative 21 with a primary amino group, was the first tetraoxane tested in vivo against Toxoplasma gondii as another apicomplexan parasite. Subcutaneous administration at a dose of 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 8 days allowed the survival of 20 % of infected mice, thus demonstrating the high potential of tetraoxanes for the treatment of apicomplexan parasites