In Vitro and In Vivo Performance of Plum (Prunus domestica L.) Pollen from the Anthers Stored at Distinct Temperatures for Different Periods

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of different storage periods and temperatures on pollen viability in vitro and in vivo in plum genotypes ‘Valerija’, ‘Čačanska Lepotica’ and ‘Valjevka’. In vitro pollen viability was tested at day 0 (fresh dry pollen) and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of storage at four different temperatures (4, −20, −80 and −196◦C), and in vivo after 12 months of storage at distinct temperatures. In vitro germination and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining methods were used to test pollen viability, while aniline blue staining was used for observing in vivo pollen tube growth. Fresh pollen germination and viability ranged from 42.35 to 63.79% (‘Valjevka’ and ‘Čačanska Lepotica’, respectively) and 54.58 to 62.15%, (‘Valjevka’ and ‘Valerija’, respectively). With storage at 4◦C, pollen viability and germination decreased over the period, with the lowest value after 12 months of storage. Pollen germination and viability for the other storage temperatures (−20, −80 and −196◦C) were higher than 30% by the end of the 12 months. Pollination using pollen stored at 4◦C showed that pollen tube growth mostly ended in the lower part of the style. With the other storage temperatures, pollen tube growth was similar, ranging between 50 and 100% of the pistils with pollen tubes penetrated into the nucellus of the ovule in the genotype ‘Čačanska Lepotica’. The results of these findings will have implications for plum pollen breeding and conservation. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Spatial Segregation of Roma Settlements Within Serbian Cities. Examples from Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Kruševac

This chapter focuses on the spatial segregation of Roma settlements within Serbian cities, shaped by the long-standing ethnic distance and social exclusion. In order to understand the broader context, the historical background against which Roma settlements emerged in Serbia, as well as their current demographic, legislative, and urban characteristics, are briefly presented. Several forms of segregation of Roma settlements are analysed, including segregation as a consequence of racist hostility, institutional discrimination by city administration, and development-based conflicts. Examples of setting up a wall enclosing a Roma settlement in Kruševac, racist pressures that prevent the construction of housing for Roma in Belgrade and the reluctance to improve and legalise Roma settlements in Novi Sad, illustrate the various manifestations of segregation and division of urban space in Serbia.The Urban Book Serie

Interopservacijske razlike u dijagnosticiranju azbestoze prema klasifikaciji ILO

Inhalation of asbestos fibres leads to asbestosis of the pleura and the lung, with possible progression to lung cancer and malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma. Asbestosis remains difficult to diagnose, especially in its early stages. The most important role in its diagnosis is that of chest radiographs. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to address interobserver variations in interpreting chest radiographs in asbestos workers, which remain to be an issue, despite improvements in the International Labour Office (ILO) classification system. In our ten-year study, we investigated 318 workers occupationally exposed to asbestos, and in 210 workers with diagnosed asbestos-related changes we compared interpretations of chest radiographs according to ILO by two independent radiologists. The apparent degree of interobserver variation in classifying lung fibrosis was 26.66 % for the diameter of changes and 42.2 % for the profusion of the changes. In cases with diffuse pleural thickening, the interobserver variation using ILO procedures was 34.93 %. This investigation raises the issue of standardisation and objectivity of interpretation of asbestosis according to the ILO classification system. This study has revealed a significant disagreement in the estimated degree of pleural and parenchymal asbestos pulmonary disease. This is why we believe highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) should also be used as a part of international classification.Azbestoza je bolest koja nastaje kao posljedica inhalacije azbestnih vlakana. Zahvaća pluća i pleuru, a ponekad može dovesti do karcinoma pluća, pleure i peritoneuma. Azbestozu je teško dijagnosticirati, osobito u početnom stadiju bolesti. U dijagnostici azbestoze presudna je radiološka obrada. Cilj ovog rada je utvrditi interopservacijske razlike u analizi radiograma prema kriterijima klasifikacije ILO kod profesjonalne azbestoze. U istraživanje je bilo uključeno 318 ispitanika profesionalno izloženih azbestnim česticama. U 210 ispitanika kojima je postavljena dijagnoza azbestoze usporedili smo radiološke nalaze analizirane od dvaju neovisnih radiologa eksperata u skladu s važećom klasifikacijom ILO. Uspoređujući rezultate analize malih zasjenjenja parenhima pluća prema njihovoj veličini, našli smo da se rezultati razlikuju u 26,66 % slučajeva, dok je prema prožetosti intersticija neslaganje bilo još učestalije, tj. zabilježeno je u 42,22 % slučajeva. U ispitanika s pleuralnim promjenama usporedili smo rezultate analize difuznih pleuralnih zadebljanja i našli neslaganje u debljini i/ili širini pleuralnih zadebljanja u 34,93 % slučajeva. Uočili smo značajno neslaganje u procjeni stupnja azbestne bolesti na pleuri i na parenhimu pluća. Zbog toga smatramo da je u kvantificiranju promjena izazvanih azbestom i u procjeni stupnja tjelesnog oštećenja nužno rabiti kompjutoriziranu tomografiju visoke rezolucije kao znatno osjetljiviju i pouzdaniju slikovnu tehniku

Subclinical hypothyroidism

Subklinički hipotiroidizam je asimptomatska ili simptomatska tiroidna disfunkcija, koja se karakteriše umerenim porastom nivoa TSH i normalnim nivoima perifernih tiroidnih hormona. Često se otkriva uzgredno. Etiologija subkliničkog hipotiroidizma je identična etiologiji kliničkog hipotiroidizma. Dijagnostikuje se laboratorijski, određivanjem nivoa TSH i perifernih tirodnih frakcija. S'obzirom da je od kliničkog značaja samo perzistentni subklinički hipotiroidizam, za definitivnu potvrdu je neophodno učiniti hormonsku reevaluaciju 6-12 meseci nakon incijalne. Značaj subkliničkog hipotiroidizma je prevashodno u postojanju određenih propratnih pojava, koje mogu značajno uticati na kvalitet života bolesnika (dislipidemija, kardiovaskularni i neurokognitivni poremećaji, infertilitet, poremećaj intrauterinog razvoja ploda). Upravo stoga, lečenje subkliničkog hipotiroidizma malim dozama levotiroksina treba sprovesti u slučajevima gde je korist od supstitucije daleko veća od njenih potencijalnih rizika. Ovaj revijski rad je pokušaj argumentovanog razmatranja kliničkih i terapijskih aspekata subkliničkog hipotiroidizma iz literature i našeg kliničkog iskustva.Subclinical hypothyroidism is asymptomatic or symptomatic thyroid dysfunction, presented as slightly elevated TSH level and reference range values of peripheral thyroid hormons. Its etiology is the same as the etiology of clinical hypothyroidism. By measurement of TSH serum level as well the levels of peripheral free thyroid hormone fractions, it is easy, but more frequently incidental, diagnosed. Because of clinical significance is just persistent subclinical hypothyroidism, obliged hormonal confirmation would be done 6-12 months after initial measurement. The importance of subclinical hypothyroidism lay in the co-existence of some accompanying phenomenons, which can significantly influence on the patients life quality (lipid disorders, cardiovascular and neurocognitive dysfunctions, infertility, inadequate fetal growth and deveolpment). For such reasons, it is necessary to substitute subclinical hypothyroidism with small doses of levothyroxine, where we can expect more benefit than the risk of therapy. This review article is an attempt to unite present important clinical and therapeutical aspects of subclinical hypothyroidism from reviews and our experience

Molecular genetic study of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Serbia: novel p.Leu129Pro and p.Ser165Pro CYP21A2 gene mutations

Purpose Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by impaired adrenal steroidogenesis and most often caused by CYP21A2 gene mutations. For the first time, we reported complete spectrum and frequency of CYP21A2 gene mutations in 61 unrelated patients with classical and non-classical CAH from Serbia. Methods Direct DNA sequencing of whole CYP21A2 gene and polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers for detection of CYP21A1P/CYP21A2 chimeras were combined. Results We identified 18 different pathogenic alleles-two of them novel. Mutation detection rate was highest in patients with salt-wasting form of CAH (94.7 %). The most prevalent mutation was intron 2 splice site mutation, c.290-13A/C gt G (18.5 %). Other mutation frequencies were: CYP21A1P/CYP21A2 chimeras (13 %), p.P30L (13 %), p.R356W (11.1 %), p.G110fs (7.4 %), p.Q318X (4.6 %), p.V281L (4.6 %), p.I172N (2.8 %), p.L307fs (2.8 %), p.P453S (1.9 %), etc. Mainly, frequencies were similar to those in Slavic populations and bordering countries. However, we found 6.5 % of alleles with multiple mutations, frequently including p.P453S. Effects of novel mutations, c.386T gt C (p.Leu129Pro) and c.493T gt C (p.Ser165Pro), were characterized in silico as deleterious. The effect of well-known mutations on Serbian patients' phenotype was as expected. Conclusions The first comprehensive molecular genetic study of Serbian CAH patients revealed two novel CYP21A2 mutations. This study will enable genetic counseling in our population and contribute to better understanding of molecular landscape of CAH in Europe