Koi herpesvirus disease in carp

A disease in the koi carp (Cyprinus carpio koi) and the common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio), caused by the herpesvirus and accompanied by a high mortality rate, has spread across numerous fish ponds all over the world since 1998, resulting in massive mortality and significant financial losses. The herpesvirus-like virus, called the koi herpesvirus (KHV) has been isolated and identified from the koi and the common carp in the course of the incidences of massive mortalities. The first appearance of a disease with a high mortality in the common and the koi carp caused by the koi herpesvirus (KHV) was described in 1998 in Israel and the United States of America (USA). Since that time, a large number of cases of outbreaks of this disease have been confirmed throughout the world, including the USA, Israel, and a large number of European countries. The deaths occurred seasonally, in late spring or early autumn, when the water temperature was from 18-28ºC. The most important factor of the environment that affects the occurrence and gravity of this disease is the water temperature. This disease is currently considered one of the factors that present the biggest threat to populations of the common and the koi carp. Diseased fish are disoriented, their movements uncoordinated, their breathing rapid, gills swollen, and they have local skin lesions. The virus was isolated from tissue of diseased fish and cultivated on a KF-1 (koi fin cells) cell line. Electronic microscopy examinations revealed virus identical viral particles of the Herpesviridae family. Analyses of the virion polypeptide and DNA established differences between the KHV and the previously known herpesvirus of the Cyprinida family, Herpesvirus cyprini (CHV), and the virus of the channel catfish (Channel catfish virus - CCV). In the years 2004 and 2005, high mortality was established among one-year and two-year carp fry on three fish ponds. At two ponds, the deaths occurred among one year and two-year carp fry during the spring period, when the water temperature was over 18ºC. During the autumn period, mortality was recorded among one-year carp fry at water temperatures above 23ºC. On the grounds of the determined pathomorphological changes and the high mortality during the period of the year when the temperature was above 18ºC, we suspect that KHV is also present in fish ponds in Serbia, even though the virus itself has not been isolated. The objective of this work is briefly to present the relevant data on this disease which is inflicting significant losses to carp production, to show the current distribution of this disease, the diagnostic methods, and the possibilities for the prevention and control of KHV

Suplementacija magnezijuma i status gvožđa kod studentkinja - studija intervencije

Abstract Background: Literature data indicate the benefit of magnesium (Mg) supplementation. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of short-term Mg supplementation on iron status in healthy female participants. Methods: One hundred healthy female students of the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy participated the study during eleven intervention days. Students ingested Mg preparations with the same dose of the active substance. The analysis included the measurement of serum iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), total Mg (tMg), ionized Mg (iMg), complete blood count, met-, carboxy- and oxy-haemoglobin (metHgb, COHgb, O2Hgb). Transferrin concentrations and percentage of transferrin saturation (SAT) were calculated manually. The association among the analyzed biochemical parameters was examined using polynomial regression. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used for the evaluation of interdependence between the analyzed parameters. Results: A statistically significant trend for change in O2Hgb (%) by tertiles of iMg concentrations was found (P = 0.029). Serum tMg reached significant positive correlation with the SAT at concentration levels greater than 0.9 mmol/L, after 11 days of intervention (R2=0.116). Ionized Mg in a concentration higher than 0.6 mmol/L is positively correlated with SAT and serum Fe (R2=0.214; 0.199, respectively). PCA revealed variability of 64.7% for two axes after 11 days. Conclusions: Mg supplementation leads to an improvement in the certain iron status parameters even in individuals with optimal levels of these indices. However, caution should be exercised when supplementing Mg, and laboratory monitoring of the interaction is required.Uvod: Literaturni podaci ukazuju na benefit suplementacije magnezijumom (Mg). Cilj ove studije bio je da se ispita uticaj kratkotrajne suplementacije Mg na status gvožđa kod zdravih žena. Metode: Sto zdravih studentkinja Univerzitet u Beogradu - Farmaceutskog fakulteta je učestvovalo u istraživanju tokom jedanaest dana intervencije. Studenti su uzimali preparate Mg sa istom dozom aktivne supstance. U serumu je određivano gvožđe, nezasićen kapacitet vezivanja gvožđa (UIBC), ukupan kapacitet vezivanja gvožđa (TIBC), ukupan Mg (tMg), jonizovni Mg (iMg), kompletna krvna slika, met-, karboksiioksihemoglobin (metHgb, COHgb, O2Hgb). Transferin i saturacija transferina (SAT) su izračunati ručno. Povezanost analiziranih biohemijskih parametara je ispitana pomoću polinomalne regresije. Za procenu međuzavisnosti između analiziranih parametara korišćena je analiza glavnih komponenti (PCA). Rezultati: Utvrđen je statistički značajan trend promene O2Hgb (%) po tertilima koncentracija iMg (P = 0,029). Ukupan Mg je dostigao značajnu pozitivnu korelaciju sa SAT pri koncentracijama većim od 0,9 mmol/L, nakon 11 dana intervencije (R2 = 0,116). Jonizovani Mg u koncentraciji većoj od 0,6 mmol/L pozitivno korelira sa SAT i gvožđem (R2 = 0,214; 0,199, redom). PCA analizom je pokazana varijabilnost od 64,7% za dve ose nakon 11 dana. Zaključak: Suplementacija Mg dovodi do poboljšanja određenih parametara statusa gvožđa čak i kod pojedinaca sa optimalnim nivoima ovih parametara. Međutim treba biti oprezan pri suplementaciji Mg, a dodatno je neophodno i laboratorijsko praćenje ovih interakcija

Modeling of Impurities Evaporation Reaction Order in Aluminum Alloys by the Parametric Fitting of the Logistic Function

Advancements in computer capabilities enable predicting process outcomes that earlier could only be assessed after post-process analyses. In aerospace and automotive industries it is important to predict parts properties before their formation from liquid alloys. In this work, the logistic function was used to predict the evaporation rates of the most detrimental impurities, if the temperature of the liquid aluminum alloy was known. Then, parameters of the logistic function were used to determine the transition points where the reaction order was changing. Samples were heated to 610 °C, 660 °C, 710 °C, and 760 °C for one hour, after which the chemical analyses were performed and evaporation rates were calculated for Cd, Hg, Pb and Zn elements. The pressure inside the encapsulated area was maintained at 0.97 kPa. Whereas parameters that define the evaporation rate increase with the temperature increase, the maximum evaporation rates were deduced from the experimental data and fitted into the logistic function. The elemental evaporation in liquid-aluminum alloys is the best defined by the logistic function, since transitions from the first to zero-order-governed evaporation reactions have nonsymmetrical evaporation rate slopes between the lowest and the highest evaporation rate point

Biological aspects of salivary hormones in male half-marathon performance

Physical effort is known to alter the blood levels of many hormones, but there are only a few studies about the biological changes of salivary hormones. The aim of this work was to determine whether salivary testosterone and salivary cortisol levels, measured two weeks before a half-marathon race, relate to running performance in male recreational athletes. A group of eleven male recreational athletes preparing for a half-marathon was included in the study. Saliva for testosterone and cortisol determinations was collected before and immediately after a 15-km training run, two weeks before the half-marathon. Individual official half-marathon times, expressed in hours, were used as a measure of performance. Mean testosterone concentrations were 1.07 +/- 0.33 nmol/l before the run and 0.88 +/- 0.35 nmol/l after the run (p lt 0.05). Mean cortisol concentrations were 12.28 +/- 8.46 nmol/l before the run and 38.08 +/- 19.63 nmol/l after the run (p lt 0.05). The pre-run salivary testosterone levels marginally correlated with the corresponding half-marathon running times (p=0.068, 95% bootstrap CI for slope -0.40 to -0.06). However, post-run salivary testosterone levels significantly correlated with the corresponding half-marathon running times (p=0.011, 95% bootstrap CI for slope -0.41 to -0.16), even considering correlations with the runners' age. Salivary cortisol levels, either pre- or post-run, did not correlate with the corresponding half-marathon running times. The results of this study suggest that post-exercise salivary testosterone levels could have the potential to predict performance in endurance running, at least in recreational athletes

Sol-gel synthesis of titanium dioxide in acidic conditions

To obtain the titania (TiO2) nanoparticles, the conventional sol-gel method under acidic conditions, pH around 2, was employed. After synthesis, the obtained powder was calcinated at 500 and 700 °C. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the heat-treated powder at 500 °C was anatase phase, while the heat-treated powder at 700 °C was the mixture of anatase and rutile phase. The crystallite size of the anatase phase at 500 °C was 15 nm whereas at 700 °C crystallite size of the anatase was 47 nm and 63 nm for the rutile phase. The characteristic FE–SEM images revealed well distributed spherical shaped nanoparticles. An average diameter of nanoparticles was in the range of 20 – 30 nm. The average size of nanoparticles in the sample treated at 500 °C was lower than the nanoparticles in the one treated at 700 °C. Therefore, the specific surface area of synthesized pure TiO2 after heat treatment at lower temperatures is higher, promising better absorption and photocatalytic activity.IX Serbian Ceramic Society Conference - Advanced Ceramics and Application : new frontiers in multifunctional material science and processing : program and the book of abstracts; September 20-21, 2021; Belgrad

Formation of nitride powders by carbothermal reduction- nitridation of diatomite

In the synthesis of silicon nitride (Si3N4) based powders by carbothermal reduction-nitridation of diatomaceous earth, the effects of addition of silicon nitride powder on the phase composition, particle size and shape were investigated in this paper. Activated carbon was used as carbon sources. In order to obtain better quality Si3N4 powder in a faster and more efficient way, α-Si3N4 powder was introduced into starting mixtures as seeds. The starting mixtures of diatomaceous earth, carbon source and commercial α-Si3N4 powder (5,10,15 and 20 wt.%) were thermally treated at 1350 °C and 1450. X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to characterize the phases, functional groups, microstructure of the obtained powders. The major reduction of diatomaceous earth took place at 1450 °C. At 1350 °C particles retained the morphological characteristics of the starting diatomaceous earth. At 1450 °C, observed particles possess a polygonal habitus, which is characteristic for silicon nitride crystals.X Serbian Ceramic Society Conference - Advanced Ceramics and Application : new frontiers in multifunctional material science and processing : program and the book of abstracts; September 26-27, 2022; Belgrad

Suplementacija magnezijuma i status gvožđa kod studentkinja - studija intervencije

Background: Literature data indicate the benefit of magne- sium (Mg) supplementation. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of short-term Mg supplementation on iron status in healthy female participants. Methods: One hundred healthy female students of the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy participated the study during eleven intervention days. Students ingested Mg preparations with the same dose of the active substance. The analysis included the measurement of serum iron, unsaturat- ed iron binding capacity (UIBC), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), total Mg (tMg), ionized Mg (iMg), complete blood count, met-, carboxy- and oxy-haemoglobin (metHgb, COHgb, O2Hgb). Transferrin concentrations and percentage of transferrin saturation (SAT) were calculated manually. The association among the analyzed biochemical parameters was examined using polynomial regression. A principal compo- nent analysis (PCA) was used for the evaluation of interde- pendence between the analyzed parameters. Results: A statistically significant trend for change in O2Hgb (%) by tertiles of iMg concentrations was found (P = 0.029). Serum tMg reached significant positive correlation with the SAT at concentration levels greater than 0.9 mmol/L, after 11 days of intervention (R2=0.116). Ionized Mg in a con- centration higher than 0.6 mmol/L is positively correlated with SAT and serum Fe (R2=0.214; 0.199, respectively). PCA revealed variability of 64.7% for two axes after 11 days. Conclusions: Mg supplementation leads to an improvement in the certain iron status parameters even in individuals with optimal levels of these indices. However, caution should be exercised when supplementing Mg, and laboratory monitor- ing of the interaction is required.Uvod: Literaturni podaci ukazuju na benefit suplementacije magnezijumom (Mg). Cilj ove studije bio je da se ispita uticaj kratkotrajne suplementacije Mg na status gvožđa kod zdravih žena. Metode: Sto zdravih studentkinja Univerzitet u Beogradu - Farmaceutskog fakulteta je učestvovalo u istraživanju tokom jedanaest dana intervencije. Studenti su uzimali preparate Mg sa istom dozom aktivne supstance. U serumu je određivano gvožđe, nezasićen kapacitet vezivanja gvožđa (UIBC), ukupan kapacitet vezivanja gvožđa (TIBC), ukupan Mg (tMg), jonizovni Mg (iMg), kompletna krvna slika, met-, karboksiioksihemoglobin (metHgb, COHgb, O2Hgb). Transferin i saturacija transferina (SAT) su izračunati ručno. Povezanost analiziranih biohemijskih parametara je ispitana pomoću polinomalne regresije. Za procenu međuzavisnosti između analiziranih parametara korišćena je analiza glavnih komponenti (PCA). Rezultati: Utvrđen je statistički značajan trend promene O2Hgb (%) po tertilima koncentracija iMg (P = 0,029). Ukupan Mg je dostigao značajnu pozitivnu korelaciju sa SAT pri koncentracijama većim od 0,9 mmol/L, nakon 11 dana intervencije (R2 = 0,116). Jonizovani Mg u koncentraciji većoj od 0,6 mmol/L pozitivno korelira sa SAT i gvožđem (R2 = 0,214; 0,199, redom). PCA analizom je pokazana varijabilnost od 64,7% za dve ose nakon 11 dana. Zaključak: Suplementacija Mg dovodi do poboljšanja određenih parametara statusa gvožđa čak i kod pojedinaca sa optimalnim nivoima ovih parametara. Međutim treba biti oprezan pri suplementaciji Mg, a dodatno je neophodno i laboratorijsko praćenje ovih interakcija

Ispitivanje kvaliteta džibre nakon mlečno-kiselinske fermentacije kao hrane za životinje

Lactic acid is a significant chemical for the food industry. Fermentative lactic acid production on wastes could significantly improve the economy and sustainability of the process. In this study, lactic acid production was performed by L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469 on a stillage from bioethanol production on waste bread. Under optimal conditions, in fed-batch fermentation lactic acid productivity of 1.80 g L-1 h-1 has been achieved with a cell number of above 109 CFU mL-1. L. rhamnosus has shown high survival rate of over 85% in the presence of beef bile and at low pH value of MRS broth. The residuals after the fermentation were chemically analyzed and their composition corresponded well with the values recommended for the feed. The digestible energy was 17452.25 kJ kg-1, while metabolisable energy was 17360.83 kJ kg-1. The high values of energy parameters indicated that an integrated process for lactic acid and feedstuff production could be a good strategy.Mlečna kiselina je važna supstanca za prehrambenu industriju. Proizvodnja mlečne kiseline fermentacijom na otpadnim sirovinama može značajno da poveća ekonomičnost i održivost procesa. U ovom radu je ispitivana proizvodnja mlečne kiseline pomoću L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469 na džibri iz proizvodnje bioetanola na otpadnom hlebu. Pod optimalnim uslovima, u dolivnom postupku je postignuta produktivnost mlečne kiseline od 1.80 g L-1 h-1 sa više od 109 CFU mL-1 bakterija. L. rhamnosus je pokazao visok stepen preživljavanja od preko 85% u prisustvu žučnih soli i pri niskoj pH vrednosti MRS bujona. Ostatak nakon mlečno-kiselinske fermentacije džibre je hemijski analiziran i pokazano je da dobijene vrednosti odgovaraju preporučenim. Svarljiva energija je iznosila 17452,25 kJ kg-1, dok je metabolička energija bila 17360,83 kJ kg-1. Visoke vrednosti energetskih parametara hraniva ukazuju da integrisani proces proizvodnje mlečne kiseline i stočne hrane na džibri predstavlja povoljnu strategiju

Drug allergy and medical records in Health center 'Zvezdara'

Objective: This paper analyses the compliance of medical records of drug allergies and incidence of the allergies. Identifying the drug as an allergy-causing agent is important in order to prevent re-exposure which could be harmful or even life-threatening. Method: In the period December 2011-February 2012, the survey of drug allergy was conducted on 300 patients aged 21 to 87 years. During this period, the author personally interviewed the patients and recorded their answers. Results: Analysis determined allergies in 52 cases (17.3%) and in all cases, data on allergies were added to the official medical documentation. However, comparing with the personal medical card (PMC) we found that there is a conflict between the PMC and the official medical documentation in about 40% of cases. The greatest presence of allergy was on penicillin, cephalosporins and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most common symptoms of allergic reactions are shock, choking, the appearance of redness and skin rash. Conclusion: The conclusion of the analysis is that medical records of patients' allergies are not fully aligned and there is a significant mismatch between the actual condition and the recorded data. Better records of allergies in the medical documentation are needed in order to prevent the risk of incorrect treatment