Standardization of Montgomery-Asberg scale on a sample of depressed patients in Serbia

Apstrakt: Depresija je psihijatrijski poremećaj koji karakterišu osećanja tuge, bezvoljnosti, neadekvatnosti i krivice, praćena nedostatkom energije, poremećajima apetita i spavanja, uključujući i nemogućnost doživljavanja zadovoljstva, kao i ideje o samoubistvu ili samopovređivanju. Skale za procenu depresije predstavljaju ključnu dopunu dijagnostici. U našoj zemlji koriste se brojne skale, ali nema publikovanih rezultata o normama primenjenih skala na našoj populaciji. Ciljevi ovog istraživanja bili su: standardizacija Montgomeri-Ašberg skale za procenu depresivnosti (MADRS), na kliničkoj i nekliničkoj populaciji u Srbiji, poređenje rezultata i konvergencija sa Hamiltonovom skalom za procenu depresivnosti (HAMD), kao i potvrđivanje prediktivne validnosti MADRS instrumenta. Uzorak ispitanika bio je konsekutivnog tipa i obuhvatao je grupaciju iz opšte i grupaciju iz kliničke populacije, a ispitana su 272 ispitanika, u dva navrata. Svim ispitanicima zadati su navedeni testovi, a uzorku iz opšte populacije dat je i BPRS (eng. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), čime je utvrđeno da kod ispitanika nije prisutan neki od mentalnih poremećaja. Utvrđeno je da skala MADRS ima odlične psihometrijske karakteristike, da je podjednako validna kao i HAMD, kao i da je njena diskriminativna validnost adekvatna. Test-retest analiza pokazala je da je skala pouzdana u vremenu. Utvrđena je i visoka pozitivna korelacija između dveju navedenih skala. Na kraju, ustanovljene su statistički značajne razlike između grupa u pogledu pola, starosti i obrazovanja za obe skale, ali su efekti utvrđenih razlika mali, te bi se mogli smatrati zanemarljivim. Glavni rezultat ovog istraživanja je standardizovana MADRS skala koja se pokazala odgovarajućom merom za rutinske, kliničke procene pojedinaca sa depresijom. Ispostavilo se da bi ova mera mogla da pruži pouzdane i validne procene težine depresije i da je moguće razlikovati klinički značajno poboljšanje od greške merenja sa velikom izvesnošću.Abstract: Depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, lethargy, inadequacy, and guilt, accompanied by a lack of energy, appetite, and sleep disorders, including the inability to experience pleasure and the idea of suicide or self-harm. Depression assessment scales are a key complement to the diagnosis. Numerous scales are used in our country, but there are no published results on the norms of the scales applied to our population. The objectives of this study were: standardization of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) on the clinical and non-clinical population in Serbia, comparison of results, and convergence with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), as well as confirmation of the predictive validity of the MADRS instrument. The sample of subjects was of the consecutive type and included a group from the general and a group from the clinical population, and 272 subjects were examined on two occasions. All subjects were tested using MADRS and HAMD, and a sample from the general population was also tested with BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), which determined that the subjects did not have any of the mental disorders. It was determined that the MADRS scale has excellent psychometric characteristics, it is equally valid as HAMD, and that its discriminant validity is adequate. The test-retest analysis showed that the scale was reliable over time. A strong positive correlation was also found between the two mentioned scales. Finally, statistically significant differences were found between groups in terms of gender, age, and education for both scales, but the effects of the identified differences were small and could be considered negligible. The main result of this study is a standardized MADRS scale that has been shown to be an appropriate measure for routine clinical assessments of individuals with depression. It turned out that this measure could provide reliable and valid estimates of the severity of depression and that it is possible to distinguish clinically significant improvement from measurement error with great certaint

Konvencionalni i real-time PCR protokoli za detekciju i identifikaciju Rhizoctonia solani AG-2-2 prouzrokovača truleži korena šećerne repe u Srbiji

Soil-borne fungi belonging to the genus Rhizoctonia are considered to be among the most destructive sugar beet pathogens. Although multinucleate R. solani AG-2-2 is frequently detected as the main causal agent of root rot of sugar beet worldwide, several binucleate (AG-A, AG-E and AG-K) and multinucleate Rhizoctonia (R. solani AG-4, AG-5 and AG-8) have also been included in the disease complex. Due to their soil-borne nature and wide host range, the management of Rhizoctonia root rot of sugar beet is highly demanding. Identification of Rhizoctonia AG associated with root rot of sugar beet is the essential first step in determining a successful disease management strategy. In this paper we report a highly specific and sensitive real-time PCR protocol for detection of R. solani AG-2-2 which showed a high level of specificity after testing against 10 different anastomosis groups and subgroups, including AG-2-1 as the most closely related. Moreover, a similar conventional PCR assay showed the same specificity but proved to be at least a 100 times less sensitive. Future research will include further testing and adaptation of this protocol for direct detection and quantification of R. solani AG-2-2 in different substrates, including plant tissue and soil samples.Smatra se da su gljive iz roda Rhizoctonia koje se održavaju u zemljištu, najdestruktivniji patogeni šećerne repe. Mada je širom sveta višejedarna R. solani AG-2-2 najčešće označena kao najvažniji prouzrokovač truleži korena šećerne repe, nekoliko dvojedarnih (AG-A, AG-E i AG-K) kao i višejedarnih Rhizoctonia (R. solani AG-4, AG-5 i AG-8) takođe mogu da učestvuju u kompleksu bolesti. Kako se održavaju u zemljištu i imaju širok krug domaćina, suzbijanje vrsta Rhizoctonia koje izazivaju trulež korena šećerne repe veoma je zahtevno. Identifikacija anastomoznih grupa prouzrokovača oboljenja predstavlja neophodan prvi korak u uspostavljanju uspešnog suzbijanja. U ovom radu razvijen je visokospecifičan i osetljiv real-time PCR protokol za detekciju i identifikaciju R. solani AG-2-2 koji se pokazao kao visokospecifičan nakon testiranja koja su obuhvatila 10 različitih AG grupa i podgrupa, uključujući i AG-2-1 kao najsrodniju. Sličan konvencionalni PCR protokol ispoljio je istu specifičnost, ali i najmanje 100 × manju osetljivost. Buduća istraživanja uključiće dalje testiranje i adaptaciju ovog protokola za direktnu detekciju i kvantifikaciju R. solani AG-2-2 u različitim uzorcima, uključujući biljno tkivo i zemljište

Molekularna identifikacija i karakterizacija dvojedarnih Rhizoctonia spp. prouzrokovača crne truleži korena jagode u Srbiji

Strawberry production is a popular, fast-growing agricultural business in Serbia. Its cultivar selection has been changing fast, following market demands. One of the limiting factors of strawberry production worldwide is black root rot, primarily caused by binucleate Rhizoctonia. Recently, outbreaks of black root rot of strawberry have occurred in Serbia and the estimated disease incidence was up to 30%. Isolates of binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A were recovered from symptomatic strawberry plants, and characterized on the bases of morphological, molecular and pathogenic features. Despite their uniform morphological characteristics, the isolates demonstrated genetic variability within ITS rDNA, grouping into three different phylogenetic sub-clusters which comprise AG-A isolates originating from Italy, Israel, Japan and the USA. The binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A from Serbia exhibited uniform virulence on strawberry after inoculation of daughter plants and detached leaf petioles, as well as on seedlings of bean, carrot and sunflower, while they were non-pathogenic to wheat, maize, tomato, pepper, tobacco, cucumber, lettuce, peas, cabbage, rapeseed and sugar beet.Proizvodnja jagode je popularna grana poljoprivrede u Srbiji koja se brzo razvija. Sastav sorti uključenih u proizvodnju podleže stalnim promenama u skladu sa zahtevima tržišta. Jedan od ograničavajućih faktora u proizvodnji jagode širom sveta je crna trulež korena, bolest koju najčešće izazivaju dvojedarne vrste roda Rhizoctonia. U Srbiji je poslednjih godina nekoliko puta zabeležena pojava crne truleži jagode uz učestalost koja je iznosila do 30%. Iz biljaka jagode sa simptomima izdvojeni su izolati dvojedarne Rhizoctonia AG-A i okarakterisani na osnovu morfološih i molekularnih osobina i patogenosti. Uprkos uniformnim morfološkim osobinama, izolati su ispoljili genetičku varijabilnost na osnovu sekvence ITS rDNK, grupišući se u tri različita filogentska sub-klastera koji su obuhvatali isolate iz Italije, Izraela, Japana i SAD. Izolati dvojedarnih Rhizoctonia AG-A poreklom iz Srbije ispoljili su uniformnu virulentnost na jagodi nakon inokulacija živića i fragmenata lisnih peteljki, kao i na sejancima pasulja, mrkve i suncokreta, dok nisu bili patogeni za pšenicu, kukuruz, paradajz, papriku, duvan, krastavac, salatu, grašak, kupus i šećernu repu

Cheese Fermented with Human-Derived Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Mushroom Powders: A Novel Psychobiotic Food with Enhanced Bioactivity and Sensory Acceptability

Fermented foods containing psychobiotics are of growing interest among food scientists. Human-derived Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938, a gut symbiont and potential psychobiotic strain, has been shown to exhibit the following health benefits: anti-inflammation and GABA-production capacity, as well as modulation of pathogen and cancer cell growth. The aim of this research was to develop an acid-coagulated fresh soft quark-type cheese, fermented with L. reuteri DSM 17938, with enhanced bioactivity, sensory acceptability, and overall likeability. Psychobiotic-containing cheeses represent the food of a new generation, so it is of great importance to gain the trust of the consumers. To develop a familiar taste, cheese samples were enriched with mushroom powders of Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus ostreatus. A high abundance of lactic acid bacteria was maintained in all cheese samples (>log 7.64 CFU/mL), while cheese extracts exhibited cytotoxicity to colon cancer cell line HCT116 (up to 30.96%) in vitro. Additionally, cheese samples provided a favorable medium for the growth of the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (>log 7.11 CFU/mL). Sensory evaluation revealed high scores for all samples (up to 97.21% of maximum overall quality). The survey conducted in this study offered insights into consumer willingness to try products containing psychobiotics. This study demonstrates the potential for the successful development of fermented food products with L. reuteri DSM 17938, which exhibits all the desired traits that consumers may receive well. Further research is required to explore the potential health benefits of these innovative food products

Waitea circinata var. zeae – prouzrokovač truleži korena kupusa i uljane repice

Waitea circinata var. zeae (anamorf Rhizoctonia zeae) je značajan patogen uglavnom onokotiledonih biljaka, koji je prisutan u mnogim delovima sveta, a održava se u zemljištu duži niz godina. Poslednjih godina krug domaćina W. circinata var. zeae širi se i na neke dikotiledone biljke. U okviru nedavnih istraživanja u Srbiji W. circinata var. zeae je utvrđen kao prouzrokovač truleži korena i korenovog vrata, i propadanja biljaka kupusa i uljane repice na lokalitetima Futog i Rimski Šančevi. U radu su sistematizovani publikovani podaci o rasprostranjenosti, krugu domaćina, načinu održavanja i širenja, kao i suzbijanju W. circinata var. zeae, kao i rezultati istraživanja koja su obavljena u Srbiji

Vrste roda Alternaria patogeni povrtarskih i začinskih biljaka iz familije Apiaceae

Species of the genus Alternaria are among the most important plant pathogens that occur worldwide on many host plants, as well as plants of the Apiaceae family, including important vegetables such as carrots, parsley, celery, parsnips and fennel, and popular herbs such as anise, cumin, dill, coriander and others. These plants are attacked by different species of phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Alternaria, and this paper offers current review of nine different species. However, there is still insufficient information on both these species and the nu-merous interactions between them and their host plants and environmental factors. This information are necessary as the basis for adequate disease control measures and thus enabling successful and profitable cultivation of these high valued crops. Therefore, we present pathogen profiles of A. dauci, A. radicina, A. carotiincultae, A. petroselini, A. selini, A. smyrnii, A. alternata, A. longipes and A. burnsii as pathogens of Apiaceae plants, as well as their full current names and synonyms, taxonomic position, distribution and symptoms these pathogens cause to their host plants, as well as their biology and mode of transmission and spread, with special emphasis on control measures.Vrste roda Alternaria spadaju među najvažnije biljne patogene koji se pojavljuju širom svijeta na mnogim biljkama domaćinima, uključujući i biljke iz familije Apiaceae. Među njima posebno su značajne povrtrarske biljke kao što su mrkva, peršun, celer, paštrnak i komorač, kao i brojne i često upotrebljavane začinske biljke, kao što su anis, kim, mirođija, korijander i druge. Ove biljke napadaju različite vrste fitopatogenih gljiva iz roda Alternaria, pri čemu je u ovom radu opisano devet vrsta. Međutim, još uvijek je nedovoljno informacija kako o ovim vrstama, tako i o brojnim interakcijama između njih i njihovih biljaka domaćina i faktora spoljne sredine. Ove informacije su neophodne kao osnova za preduzimanje adekvatnih mjera za njihovo suzbijanje i omogućavanje uspješnog i profitabilnog uzgoja ovih na tržištu izuzetno traženih i cijenjenih biljnih vrsta. Zbog toga su u ovom radu prikazane vrste roda Alternaria prourokovači bolesti povrtarskih i začinskih biljaka iz familije Apiaceae, pre svega A. dauci, A. radicina, A. carotiincultae, A. petroselini, A. selini, A. smyrnii, A. alternata, A. longipes i A. burnsii, te njihovi puni aktuelni nazivi i sinonimi, taksonomska pozicija, rasprostranjenost i simptomi koje prouzrokuju na biljkama domaćinima, kao i njihova biologija i način prenošenja i širenja, uz poseban naglasak na mjere za njihovo suzbijanje

Pathogenic potential of Waitea circinata var. zeae

Waitea circinata Warcup & P.H.B. Talbot (multinuclear Rhizoctonia spp.) is a widespread, soil-borne plant pathogen causing root rot mainly of monocotyledonous plants. Among five described varieties, the most common and widespread is W. circinata var. zeae Toda, Mushika, T. Hayak., Tanaka, Tani & Hyakum. Besides monocotyledonous hosts, a natural infection of a limited number of dicotyledonous plants, including soybeans, beans, peas, sugar beets and carrots were recorded recently. During 2017, cabbage and oilseed rape plants showing symptoms of root and root neck rot, sampled at the localities of Futog and Rimski Šančevi (Serbia), were proved to be infected with W. circinata var. zeae. This was the first record of natural infection of plants from Brassicaceae family worldwide. Two selected isolates from cabbage (299-17) and oilseed rape (300-17) formed fast-growing orange colonies with red sclerotia and multinucleate hyphae with a characteristic branching pattern. The identification was further confirmed by BLAST analysis of sequences of ITS rDNA, RPB2, LSU and β-tubulin genomic regions. Koch’s postulates were fulfilled after inoculation of cabbage and oilseed rape seedlings, while an experimental host range was determined by inoculations of 14 different plant species from 8 families

Molecular identification and characterization of binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. associated with black root rot of strawberry in Serbia

Strawberry production is a popular, fast-growing agricultural business in Serbia. Its cultivar selection has been changing fast, following market demands. One of the limiting factors of strawberry production worldwide is black root rot, primarily caused by binucleate Rhizoctonia. Recently, outbreaks of black root rot of strawberry have occurred in Serbia and the estimated disease incidence was up to 30%. Isolates of binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A were recovered from symptomatic strawberry plants, and characterized on the bases of morphological, molecular and pathogenic features. Despite their uniform morphological characteristics, the isolates demonstrated genetic variability within ITS rDNA, grouping into three different phylogenetic sub-clusters which comprise AG-A isolates originating from Italy, Israel, Japan and the USA. The binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A from Serbia exhibited uniform virulence on strawberry after inoculation of daughter plants and detached leaf petioles, as well as on seedlings of bean, carrot and sunflower, while they were non-pathogenic to wheat, maize, tomato, pepper, tobacco, cucumber, lettuce, peas, cabbage, rapeseed and sugar beet

Identification of binucleate rhizoctonia spp. ag-a from strawberry and multinucleate R. solani ag-2-2 from sugar beet in Serbia

Rhizoctonia spp. comprise soil-borne fungi widely distributed in temperate climate worldwide which are annually causing significant yield loses to a range of cultivated plants. A species status of Rhizoctonia spp. has not yet been established and the isolates are classified based on nuclei status as multinucleate and binucleate Rhizoctonia spp., and further divided into 13 anastomosis groups (AG) (AG-1-13) of multinucleate Rhizoctonia and 23 AG (AG-A-W) of binucleate Rhizoctonia. In this paper we are reporting morphological and molecular features of binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. AG-A causing black root rot on strawberry and multinucleate R. solani AG-2-2 causing root and crown rot of sugar beet. During 2015 and 2016 at several strawberry and sugar beet producing areas, plants expressing prominent root and crown necrosis and rot have been observed with disease incidence estimated at 20-30%

Standardization of Montgomery-Asberg scale on a sample of depressed patients in Serbia

Apstrakt: Depresija je psihijatrijski poremećaj koji karakterišu osećanja tuge, bezvoljnosti, neadekvatnosti i krivice, praćena nedostatkom energije, poremećajima apetita i spavanja, uključujući i nemogućnost doživljavanja zadovoljstva, kao i ideje o samoubistvu ili samopovređivanju. Skale za procenu depresije predstavljaju ključnu dopunu dijagnostici. U našoj zemlji koriste se brojne skale, ali nema publikovanih rezultata o normama primenjenih skala na našoj populaciji. Ciljevi ovog istraživanja bili su: standardizacija Montgomeri-Ašberg skale za procenu depresivnosti (MADRS), na kliničkoj i nekliničkoj populaciji u Srbiji, poređenje rezultata i konvergencija sa Hamiltonovom skalom za procenu depresivnosti (HAMD), kao i potvrđivanje prediktivne validnosti MADRS instrumenta. Uzorak ispitanika bio je konsekutivnog tipa i obuhvatao je grupaciju iz opšte i grupaciju iz kliničke populacije, a ispitana su 272 ispitanika, u dva navrata. Svim ispitanicima zadati su navedeni testovi, a uzorku iz opšte populacije dat je i BPRS (eng. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), čime je utvrđeno da kod ispitanika nije prisutan neki od mentalnih poremećaja. Utvrđeno je da skala MADRS ima odlične psihometrijske karakteristike, da je podjednako validna kao i HAMD, kao i da je njena diskriminativna validnost adekvatna. Test-retest analiza pokazala je da je skala pouzdana u vremenu. Utvrđena je i visoka pozitivna korelacija između dveju navedenih skala. Na kraju, ustanovljene su statistički značajne razlike između grupa u pogledu pola, starosti i obrazovanja za obe skale, ali su efekti utvrđenih razlika mali, te bi se mogli smatrati zanemarljivim. Glavni rezultat ovog istraživanja je standardizovana MADRS skala koja se pokazala odgovarajućom merom za rutinske, kliničke procene pojedinaca sa depresijom. Ispostavilo se da bi ova mera mogla da pruži pouzdane i validne procene težine depresije i da je moguće razlikovati klinički značajno poboljšanje od greške merenja sa velikom izvesnošću.Abstract: Depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, lethargy, inadequacy, and guilt, accompanied by a lack of energy, appetite, and sleep disorders, including the inability to experience pleasure and the idea of suicide or self-harm. Depression assessment scales are a key complement to the diagnosis. Numerous scales are used in our country, but there are no published results on the norms of the scales applied to our population. The objectives of this study were: standardization of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) on the clinical and non-clinical population in Serbia, comparison of results, and convergence with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), as well as confirmation of the predictive validity of the MADRS instrument. The sample of subjects was of the consecutive type and included a group from the general and a group from the clinical population, and 272 subjects were examined on two occasions. All subjects were tested using MADRS and HAMD, and a sample from the general population was also tested with BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), which determined that the subjects did not have any of the mental disorders. It was determined that the MADRS scale has excellent psychometric characteristics, it is equally valid as HAMD, and that its discriminant validity is adequate. The test-retest analysis showed that the scale was reliable over time. A strong positive correlation was also found between the two mentioned scales. Finally, statistically significant differences were found between groups in terms of gender, age, and education for both scales, but the effects of the identified differences were small and could be considered negligible. The main result of this study is a standardized MADRS scale that has been shown to be an appropriate measure for routine clinical assessments of individuals with depression. It turned out that this measure could provide reliable and valid estimates of the severity of depression and that it is possible to distinguish clinically significant improvement from measurement error with great certaint