REGIONAL ASPECTS OF AGRICULTURAL INCOME LEVEL IN VOJVODINA PROVINCE IN FUNCTION OF BASIC PRODUCTION FACTORS

In the present research the analysis of the level of national income in agriculture was done for different districts and municipalities of the Province of Vojvodina. The analysis of the achieved level of national income in agriculture in function of the most important factors was performed on the base of classical form the traditional non-linear regression model of Cobb-Douglas production function with labour and capital as predictors and on the extended form of Cobb-Douglas function which in addition includes the arable areas.National income in agriculture, Cobb-Douglas production function, investments in agriculture, agricultural population, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Dewaxing Bulding Containment

This project will be on the Nutrition and Health side of Kensing where we manufacture Vitamin E. The problem for the students to solve will be the lack of secondary containment for our dewaxing building. The building uses acetone to thin the vitamin E for filtering to remove pesticides. We used to have onsite waste treatment, so the acetone could go right to our process sewer, but the onsite waste treatment has since been removed. If acetone goes to the process sewer today (i.e. if a spill were to occur), we would be fined by the city. If we plug the trench to prevent acetone from going to the city, we create a flammable atmosphere in the dewaxing room. The material that goes into the trenches would be considered hazardous waste and not reworked for GMP reasons. If they decide to use an existing tank, they need to worry about RCRA implications

Checklist of non-indigenous fish species of the River Danube

Twenty non-indigenous fish species were recorded in the Danube River. The manner of their introduction, vectors, pathways, as well as invasive status are discussed. The major modes of introduction and translocation were found to be aquaculture and fish stocking. The main environmental consequences of the spread of alien fish are related to changes in the structure and functioning of the fish community and to the introduction of non-indigenous parasites

Rational drug design of antineoplastic agents using 3D-QSAR, cheminformatic, and virtual screening approaches

Support was kindly provided by the EU COST Action CM1406 and CA15135. KN and JV kindly acknowledge national project number 172033 supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.Background: Computer-Aided Drug Design has strongly accelerated the development of novel antineoplastic agents by helping in the hit identification, optimization, and evaluation. Results: Computational approaches such as cheminformatic search, virtual screening, pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking and dynamics have been developed and applied to explain the activity of bioactive molecules, design novel agents, increase the success rate of drug research, and decrease the total costs of drug discovery. Similarity searches and virtual screening are used to identify molecules with an increased probability to interact with drug targets of interest, while the other computational approaches are applied for the design and evaluation of molecules with enhanced activity and improved safety profile. Conclusion: In this review are described the main in silico techniques used in rational drug design of antineoplastic agents and presented optimal combinations of computational methods for design of more efficient antineoplastic drugs.PostprintPeer reviewe

Development of Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography Method for the Analysis of Moxonidine and Its Impurities

Fast and simple hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method was developed and validated for the analysis of moxonidine and its four impurities (A, B, C, and D) in pharmaceutical dosage form. All experiments were performed on the Agilent Technologies 1200 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system using Zorbax RX-SIL, 250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 m column as stationary phase ( = 25 ∘ C, = 1 mL/min, and = 255 nm), and mixture of acetonitrile and 40 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH 2.8) 80 : 20 (v/v) as mobile phase. Under the optimal chromatographic conditions, selected by central composite design, separation and analysis of moxonidine and its four impurities are enabled within 12 minutes. Validation of the method was conducted in accordance with ICH guidelines. Based on the obtained results selectivity, linearity ( ≥ 0.9976), accuracy (recovery: 93.66%-114.08%), precision (RSD: 0.56%-2.55%), and robustness of the method were confirmed. The obtained values of the limit of detection and quantification revealed that the method can be used for determination of impurities levels below 0.1%. Validated method was applied for determination of moxonidine and its impurities in commercially available tablet formulation. Obtained results confirmed that validated method is fast, simple, and reliable for analysis of moxonidine and its impurities in tablets

THE EFFECTS OF MILLING MEDIA ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN MECHANICALLY ACTIVATED ZnO

Mechanical activation (MA), as a simple and low-cost method for modifying physico-chemical properties of disperse systems, is often used for obtaining powders. Prolonged milling in high-energy mills, necessary for obtaining nanoparticles, leads to contamination of the starting material, and it can be used as an additional route for introducing the milling assembly material as the desired dopant into a powder. In the present work morphological and structural characteristics of ZnO nanopowders obtained by MA in a high-energy planetary ball mill with stainless steel (Fe), Y-stabilized zirconium oxide (Zr) and tungsten carbide (W) vials and balls were investigated. Knowing that microstructural characteristics of mechanically milled ZnO powder have strongly depended on milling conditions. The milling has been performed in a continual regime in air, with following conditions: the rotation speed of the disk was 400 rpm, ball-to-powder mass ratio was 40:1, and milling time was 300 min. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), equipped with an EDS, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and UV-vis spectroscopy. In order to investigate the type of intrinsic defects and impurities introduced by milling, both milled and thermally treated milled ZnO were analyzed. According to the SEM, the particles of various sizes (100–500 nm) were present in the sample before milling. After milling significant changes in particle shapes and sizes and very pronounced tendency to adhesion in agglomerates, with dimensions in the range of submicron up to a few micrometers, has been noticed.\ The phase analysis of both milled and thermally treated milled samples of powders indicates the presence of wurtzite ZnO refined in P63mc space group [1]. The XRD patterns of milled samples of Fe-, W- and Zr-doped ZnO do not reveal the presence of other ZnO phases. On other side, in thermally treated milled samples of W- and Fe-doped ZnO the ZnWO4 (samartinite, P2/c) and cubic spinel (Fd-3m) are present, respectively. In thermally treated milled Zr-doped sample monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO2 (P21/c and P42/nmc) are present, whereas ZnZrO3 structures could not be refined due to very low peak intensities [2]. 1. M. Šćepanović, M. Grujić-Brojčin, et al., J. Raman Spectrosc., 41 (2010) 914 2. K. Vojisavljević, M. Šćepanović, et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, 20 (2008) 47520

Astroglial Cell-to-Cell Interaction with Autoreactive Immune Cells in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Involves P2X7 Receptor, 3-Integrin, and Connexin-43

In multiple sclerosis (MS), glial cells astrocytes interact with the autoreactive immune cells that attack the central nervous system (CNS), which causes and sustains neuroinflammation. However, little is known about the direct interaction between these cells when they are in close proximity in the inflamed CNS. By using an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS, we previously found that in the proximity of autoreactive CNS-infiltrated immune cells (CNS-IICs), astrocytes respond with a rapid calcium increase that is mediated by the autocrine P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) activation. We now reveal that the mechanisms regulating this direct interaction of astrocytes and CNS-IICs involve the coupling between P2X7R, connexin-43, and β3-integrin. We found that P2X7R and astroglial connexin-43 interact and concentrate in the immediate proximity of the CNS-IICs in EAE. P2X7R also interacts with β3-integrin, and the block of astroglial αvβ3-integrin reduces the P2X7R-dependent calcium response of astrocytes upon encountering CNS-IICs. This interaction was dependent on astroglial mitochondrial activity, which regulated the ATP-driven P2X7R activation and facilitated the termination of the astrocytic calcium response evoked by CNS-IICs. By further defining the interactions between the CNS and the immune system, our findings provide a novel perspective toward expanding integrin-targeting therapeutic approaches for MS treatment by controlling the cell–cell interactions between astrocytes and CNS-IICs.casopis je u kategoriji M2

Procena sadržaja metala i elemenata u tkivima 4 komercijalne vrste riba iz Dunava kod Beograda

Cilj ovog istraživanja je bio da se proceni akumulacija elemenata u četiri komercijalne vrste riba na dva lokaliteta na Dunavu, u Beogradu. U ovom istraživanju, određene su koncentracije 11 elemenata (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Se, i Zn) u tkivima mišića, jetre i škrga sledećih vrsta: mrena (Barbus barbus), deverika (Abramis brama), štuka (Esox lucius) i smuđ (Sander lucioperca). Rezultati su ukazali da je distribucija metala i elemenata u tragovima u različitim tkivima specifična za vrstu. Koncentracije As, Cd, Fe, Hg, i Zn u mišićima riba su bile ispod maksimalno dozvoljenih koncentracija MDK, utvrđenih od strane EU i Republike Srbije. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata, neophodno je uspostaviti program stalnog monitoringa na Dunavu u Beogradskom regionu

Karakterizacija i odabir autohtonih bakterija mliječno-kiselog vrenja kao starter kultura u zanatskoj proizvodnji vlasinskog sira iz svježeg kozjeg mlijeka

The aim of this study is the isolation, characterization and identification of autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from artisanal Vlasina raw goat\u27s milk cheese for the selection of potential starter cultures. Soft white Vlasina cheese was manufactured at a household on the Stara Planina Mountain using traditional techniques without starter cultures. One hundred and forty nine LAB isolates were collected from two samples of Vlasina cheese, designated as BGVL2 (5 days old) and BGVL2a (15 days old). The population of LAB in the cheese samples was characterized by phenotype-based assays and presumptively identified using repetitive element palindromic polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) with the primer (GTG)5. Results were confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Among the BGVL2 isolates (56), the most numerous LAB species were Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (27) and Lactococcus lactis (26). In 15-day-old BGVL2a (93 isolates), Lactobacillus plantarum (33), Enterococcus durans (26) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (14) were predominant. Lc. lactis ssp. lactis BGVL2-8 showed good acidification ability and the ability to produce antimicrobial compounds, Lb. plantarum BGVL2a-18 had good proteolytic ability and produced exopolysaccharides, while BGVL2-29 and BGVL2-63, which belonged to the species Ln. pseudomesenteroides, utilized citrate and produced diacetyl and acetoin. They appeared to be suitable candidates for inclusion in the starter culture. This study contributed to the understanding of the role of autochthonous LAB in the quality of artisanal cheese and the possibility of using the selected LAB as potential starter cultures for cheese making under controlled conditions.Svrha je ovoga rada bila izolirati, karakterizirati i identificirati autohtone bakterije mliječno-kiselog vrenja koje se mogu upotrijebiti kao starter kulture u zanatskoj proizvodnji vlasinskog sira iz svježeg kozjeg mlijeka. Meki je bijeli vlasinski sir bio izrađen u domaćinstvu na Staroj Planini tradicionalnim postupkom bez dodatka starter kultura. Iz dvaju je uzoraka vlasinskih sireva, označenih kao BGVL2 (sir star 5 dana) i BGVL2 (sir star 15 dana) prikupljeno 149 izolata bakterija mliječno-kiselog vrenja. Populacija je bakterija iz uzoraka sireva okarakerizirana pomoću fenotipskih testova i primarno identificirana primjenom metode rep-PCR s početnicom (GTG)5. Rezultati su potvrđeni sekvenciranjem 16S rDNA. Među izolatima iz sira BGVL2 (njih 56) najbrojnije su bile bakterije Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (27) i Lactococcus lactis (26). U siru BGVL2a (93 izolata), starom 15 dana, prevladavale su vrste Lactobacillus plantarum (33), Enterococcus durans (26) i Pediococcus pentosaceus (14). Izolat Lc. lactis ssp. lactis BGVL2-8 pokazao je dobru sposobnost zakiseljavanja i proizvodnje antimikrobnih spojeva. Izolat Lb. plantarum BGVL2a-18 imao je dobru proteolitičku aktivnost i sposobnost proizvodnje egzopolisaharida, dok su izolati BGVL2-29 i BGVL2-63 vrste Ln. pseudomesenteroides za rast koristili citrate, a proizvodili diacetil i acetoin. Stoga su navedeni izolati odabrani kao starter kulture. Ovo je istraživanje pridonijelo razumijevanju uloge autohtonih bakterija mliječno-kiselog vrenja u zanatskoj proizvodnji kvalitetnog sira, te je potvrdilo mogućnost primjene odabranih izolata kao starter kultura pri izradi vlasinskog sira u kontroliranim uvjetima