Spiritual kinship in folk poems of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija Духовное родство в народных песнях Сербов из Косово и Метохии

Предмет истраживања у овој дисертацији је, најуопштеније речено, духовно/вештачко/ритуално сродство као мотив који је опеван у народним песмама Срба са Косова и Метохије, али и као традицијска установа будући да представља део народних обичаја и веровања становништва на овој територији. Рад се састоји из неколико тематских целина. У Уводним напоменама дат је општи осврт на духовно сродство као традицијску установу са истицањем главне намере да се тема обради првенствено из аспекта фолклористике. У поглављу Преглед владајућих ставова и досадашња истраживања представљена су истраживања етнолога, антрополога и фолклориста који су се бавили овом темом. Констатовано је да је духовно/ритуално или вештачко сродство познато свим словенским народима, а да његове трагове можемо тражити још у прадавним временима. Иако су поједини истраживачи у духовно сродство сврстали и призећивање, војводство и старосватство, на Косову и Метохији, ослањајући се на досадашње записе Татомира Вукановића и Бранислава Нушића, ова духовна веза подразумева кумство, побратимство/посестримство, посињење и сродство по млеку, чиме смо се ми и водили. У трећем поглављу дато је образложење методолошког приступа. Истраживању је приступљено из аспекта методолошког плурализма, а усмерено је на публиковане песме са ове територије (Јастребов 1889; Дебељковић 1984; Владимир Бован, Љубица и Даница Јанковић, „Цариградски гласник”1, Бранислав Нушић, Татомир Вукановић), у којима је опеван мотив духовног сродства. Како је духовно сродство уједно и народна установа, истраживање је подразумевало и теренски рад те бележење народних веровања, обреда и обичаја у вези са тим. Резултати истраживања приказани су у четвртом поглављу дисертације. Истраживање сачињавају три етапе, из којих смо покушали да добијемо релевантне закључке у вези са формулисаном темом: 1. Прво истраживање ‒ народне песме са Косова и Метохије; 2. Друго истраживање ‒ савремени теренски записи о духовном сродству; 3. Треће истраживање ‒ анкетно. Прво истраживање односи се на корпус/грађу која је коришћена за изучавање формулисане теме. Анализиране су народне песме свих жанрова у којима је пронађен мотив духовног сродства. Ради прегледности, резултати су приказани у неколико целина у оквиру којих су дате и потцелине. Ово истраживање има више циљева: Идентификација мотива народне установе и њихова функција у народној поезији Срба са Косова и Метохије; Истицање комплексности односа међу духовним сродницима у народним песмама и народној традицији, као и односа етнопсихолошке заједнице према овој значајној духовној категорији; Праћење јунака епских песама, њихово понашање и улога духовног сродника као један од услова за што вернију карактеризацију јунака, будући да је „духовно сродство (је) један од битних елемената на којем се изграђују и епски портрети” (Самарџија 2008: 122); Издвајање сижејних модела у којима су заступљени облици духовног сродства у народним песмама Срба са Косова и Метохије; Поређење песама у којима су заступљени облици духовног сродства на Косову и Метохији са песмама Вукових збирки и предвуковских записа; Бележење/записивање још увек живих и функционалних облика народних установа духовног сродства. Ради остварења овог циља разговарали смо са мештанима углавном руралних средина северног дела Косова и Метохије; Истраживање значаја и значења духовног сродства међу млађом популацијом на Косову и Метохији. У ту сврху, спроведена је анкета у којој је учествовало 236 (двеста тридесет и шест) испитаника узраста од 21 (двадесет једне) до 45 (четрдесет пет) година старости. Друго, теренско истраживање методом интервјуа, спроведено је у два наврата: Први пут у току 2017. године, на мањем броју испитаника и за потребе овог истраживања на тему духовног сродства и Други пут, континуирано у периоду од марта до септембра месеца 2020. године, на већем броју испитаника, за потребе израде дисертације. Укупно је у овом истраживању, у оба наврата, учествовало 28 (двадесет осам) саговорника. Пре самог разговора на предвиђену тему, саговорницима смо саопштили циљ истраживања након чега смо, водећи се устаљеном теренском праксом, добили њихову усмену сагласност да се разговор може снимати (снимање је обављено телефоном, а снимци се чувају у личној архиви истраживача). Разговори су вођени углавном у кући или дворишту саговорника. Урађен је транскрипт свих разговора који је дат на крају рада као прилог, док су одређени делови свих обављених разговора унети у текст приликом анализе резултата. Један од циљева приликом коришћења методе интервјуа (теренског истраживања) био је и добијање личног мишљења саговорника и њихових ставова у вези са темом о којој смо разговарали. На овај начин добили смо податке које смо касније употребили за израду квесционара. Било је и случајева када смо до одређених сазнања о теми коју истражујемо долазили у спонтаним и необавезним разговорима у којима је учествовало више саговорника који су се међусобно допуњавали говорећи оно што о теми знају или су чули. И њих смо укључили у истраживање, сматрајући их једнако релевантним као и она сазнања која смо добијали у посебно припремљеним разговорима са саговорницима. Истраживање је квалитативног типа. За потребе трећег истраживања урађен је квесционар који је попуњавало двеста тридесет шест (236) испитаника. Испитаници су српске националности и православне вероисповести, у раном одраслом добу, односно старости од двадесет две (22) до четрдесет пет (45) година (Marjanovič/Zupančić 2004), са територије Косова и Метохије. Како би истраживање било спроведено на што већем броју испитаника, што свакако утиче и на његову релевантност, користили смо такозвану алтруистичку мотивацију. Квесционар је комбинованог типа. За затворени квесционар одлучили смо се због једноставније обраде података, али нам је и квесционар отвореног типа од великог значаја јер на одређена питања добијамо конкретне одговоре који представљају одређено мишљење односно став испитаника. Изглед упитника дат је у Прилозима дисертације, док су резултати истраживања саставни део рада и приказани су у посебном одељку. Код неких питања затвореног типа испитаници су могли да се одлуче за један одговор, али има и питања тако формулисаних да су могли да означе више понуђених одговора. Упитник смо конструисали посебно за ову прилику, а на основу података које смо прикупили квалитативним истраживањем, сматрајући да бисмо на тај начин значајно допринели обради теме. Последње поглавље чине закључна разматрања. Мотив духовног сродства заступљен је у већини жанрова народне поезије Срба са Косова и Метохије. Однос духовних сродника (побратима) изузетно је комплексан, а њихова функција може бити споредна, сведена само на пружаоца информације, скрајнута са главног тока радње или, пак, примарна у тој мери да сродник постаје помагач протагонисти, његов једини ослонац/потенцијални спас, који својом појавом утиче на главни ток радње. Комлексан однос подразумева част, поштовање, али и обавезу коју духовни сродници имају једни према другима, али и према крвним сродницима свог побратима/посестриме. Анализа песама показује да је улога кума изузетно значајна и да је куму указивано велико поштовање. Када разматрамо, конкретно, мотив кумства у епским песмама, као закључак се само издваја неверно кумство које народни певач апсолутно увек сурово кажњава, без прилике да се грешник искупи. Савремени записи показују да се на овим просторима чувају све врсте духовног сродства коме народ придаје посебан значај. Према мишљењу већине саговорника, духовно и крвно сродство више нису еквивалентни, већ је духовно сродство преузело примат. Резултати анкетног истраживања у потпуности прате резултате спроведеног квалитативног истраживања.The subject of research of this dissertation is, in general, spiritual / fictive / ritual kinship as a lauded in the folk poems of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, but also as a traditional institution since it is a part of folk customs and beliefs of the population in this territory. The dissertation is composed of several thematic units. In the Introductory remarks, a general overview of spiritual kinship as a traditional institution is given, emphasizing the main intention to deal with the topic primarily from the aspect of folklore. The chapter Review of the prevailing attitudes and previous research represents the research of ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists who were dealing with this subject. It was concluded that the spiritual/ritual or fictive kinship is known to all Slavic people, and that we can look for its traces in ancient times. Even though some researchers have classified matrilocality, duchy and wedding witnessing as spiritual kinship, in Kosovo and Metohija, relying on previous records of Tatomir Vukanović and Branislav Nušić, this spiritual connection includes godfathership, blood brotherhood/sisterhood, adoption or milk kinship, which is what we were guided by. The third Chapter explains the methodological approach. This research approach employs aspect of methodological pluralism and is focused on published poems from this territory (Јastrebov 1889; Debeljković 1984; Vladimir Bovan, Ljubica & Danica Janković, „Carigradski glasnik”2, Branislav Nušić, Tatomir Vukanović), in which the motif of spiritual kinship was lauded. As spiritual kinship is also a folk institution, the research included fieldwork and recording of folk beliefs, rituals and customs related to it. The research results are presented in the fourth Chapter of dissertation. The research includes three stages, aimed for obtaining the relevant conclusions regarding the formulated topic: 1. First research ‒ folk songs from Kosovo and Metohija; 2. Second research ‒ contemporary records of spiritual kinship; 3. Third research ‒ questionnaire. First research is related to the corpus, which is used for the investigation of formulated topic. Folk songs of all genres were analysed, in which the motif of spiritual kinship was found. For the sake of clarity, the results are presented in several units, within which subunits are also given. This research has several goals: Identification of motifs of folk institution and their function in the folk poetry of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija; Emphasizing the complexity of the relations between spiritual kin in folk songs and folk tradition, as well as the attitude of ethno-psychological community towards this important spiritual category; Observation of the heroes of epic songs, their behaviour and the role of spiritual kin as one of the conditions for the most faithful characterization of heroes, since "spiritual kinship is one of the important elements on which epic portraits are built" (Samardžija 2008: 122); Extraction of plot models where forms of spiritual kinship in folks songs of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija are represented; Comparison of poems in which forms of spiritual kinship in Kosovo and Metohija are represented, with poems from Vuk’s collection and pre-Vuk records; Record of existing and functional forms of folk institutions of spiritual kinship. For the accomplishment of this goal, we talked to the residents of mostly rural areas of the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija; Investigation of the importance and meaning of spiritual kinship among younger population in Kosovo and Metohija. For this purpose, a survey with 236 (two hundred and thirty-six) respondents aged from 21 (twenty-one) to 45 (forty-five) was conducted. Second, field research, where interview method was applied was conducted on two occasions: First time during 2017, on a smaller number of respondents for the needs of this research regarding the spiritual kinship, and Second time, continuously throughout the period from March to September 2020, on a larger number of respondents, for the needs of this dissertation. A total of 28 (twenty-eight) respondents participated in this research on both occasions. Prior to conversation of the planned topic, we informed the respondents about the goal of the research, after which, following the established field practice, we received their verbal consent that the conversation could be recorded (recording was done by phone, and recordings are stored in the personal archive of researcher). The interviews were conducted mostly in the house or yard of the respondents. A transcript of all interviews was made and is given at the end of the paper as an appendix, while certain parts of all interviews were entered into the text during the analysis of the results. One of the goals when using the interview method (field research) was to get the personal opinion of the respondents and their views on the topic we discussed. In this way, we obtained data that we later used to make the questionnaire. There were also cases when we came to certain findings about the topic we are researching in spontaneous and informal conversations in which several respondents participated, who complemented each other by saying what they knew or heard about the topic. These were also included into research, since they are considered as equal as those findings that were obtained in specially prepared interviews. The research is of qualitative type. For the needs of the third research, a specially questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was filled to 236 respondents. Respondents are of Serbian nationality and Orthodox religion, aged from twenty-two (22) to forty-five (45) (Marjanovič/Zupančić 2004), from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. In order for the research to be conducted on as many respondents as possible, which certainly affects its relevance, so-called altruistic motivation was used. The questionnaire is of the combined type. We decided for a closed questionnaire because of the simpler data processing, but an open questionnaire is also of great importance because we get specific answers to certain questions that represent a certain opinion or attitude of the respondents. The questionnaire was given in the Appendices of the dissertation, while the research results are an integral part of the dissertation and are given in the separate chapter. For some closed-ended questions, respondents could choose one answer, but there are also questions formulated in such a way that they could indicate more than one answer. We constructed the questionnaire especially for this occasion, based on the data we collected through qualitative research, believing that in this way we would significantly contribute to the processing of the topic. The final Chapter consists of concluding remarks. The motif of spiritual kinship is represented in most genres of folk poetry of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija. The relationships of spiritual kin (blood brotherhood) is extremely complex, and their function can be secondary, reduced only to the provider of the information, removed from the mainstream of action, or primary to the extent that the kin becomes protagonist’s helper, his/hers only support/potential salvation, who by his/her existence affects the main course of action. A complex relationship implies honour, respect, but also the obligation that spiritual kin have towards each other, and towards the blood relatives of their blood brother/sister. The analysis of the poems shows that the role of the godfather is extremely important and that the godfather enjoyed great respect. When we consider, specifically, the motif of godfathership in epic songs, what only stands out is unfaithful godfathership, which is always severely punished by the folk interpreter giving no opportunity for sinner redemption. Contemporary records show that all kinds of spiritual kinship are preserved in this area, to which people give special importance. Based on the opinion of the majority of respondents, spiritual and blood kinship are no longer equivalent, whereas spiritual kinship has taken precedence. The result of the survey completely follow the results of conducted qualitative research

Murine brain endothelial cells differently modulate interferon-γ and interleukin-17 production in vitro

Brain endothelial cells (BEC) are the major constituents of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the structure that controls entrance of immune cells into CNS parenchyma. Our aim was to investigate the influence of BEC on production of IL-17 and IFN-γ-cytokines that are important for CNS inflammation. To that end, co-cultivations of the bEnd.3 brain endothelial cell line and lymph node cells (LNC) were performed, and gene expression and production of IL-17 and IFN-γ were determined. It was found that bEnd.3 cells inhibited expression and production of IFN-γ, but not of IL-17. Additionally, bEnd.3 cells also reduced production of the major IFN-γ-promoting cytokine - IL-12 - in LNC. The observed variation in modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines by BEC could be of importance for the understanding of CNS inflammation

Characterization of AggLb aggregation factor from strain Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei BGNJ1-64

Odgovor bakterija na uticaj razliĉitih faktora sredine koja ih okruţuje, kao i njihova meĊusobna komunikacija, zavisi od procesa koji se odvijaju na površini bakterijskih ćelija. S obzirom na brojne mogućnosti primene bakterija roda Lactobacillus, kako u prehrambenoj industriji, tako i u medicini (u prevenciji i/ili leĉenju bolesti), potrebno je što bolje okarakterisati komponente koje ĉine površinski sloj ovih bakterija. Agregacija bakterija, determinisana faktorima lociranim na površini ćelija moţe se smatrati poţeljnom osobinom pri izboru probiotika, s obzirom da ima vaţnu ulogu u meĊubakterijskoj interakciji, u interakciji sa epitelijalnim ćelijama gastrointenstinalnog trakta i doprinosi sposobnosti bakterija da se adsorbuju na razliĉite površine, odnosno sposobnost agregacije omogućava uspešnu kolonizaciju staništa. Kolekcija laktobacila Laboratorije za molekularnu mikrobiologiju je pretraţena na prisustvo sojeva koji poseduju sposobnost agregacije (Agg+), nakon ĉega je za dalji rad odabrano jedanaest sojeva: BGSJ2-8, BGGR2-68, BGGR2-82, BGDP1-84, BGDP9-38, BGNJ1-3, BGNJ1-61, BGNJ1-64, BGNJ1-70, BGZLS30-6 i BGAR75. Odabrani Agg+ sojevi se na osnovu stepena agregacije i tipa formiranih agregata mogu podeliti u tri grupe: oni koji brzo, srednje i sporo agregiraju ili koji formiraju krupne, srednje i sitne agregate, pri ĉemu postoji direktna korelacija izmeĊu brzine agregacije i tipa agregata. Analizom sposobnosti vezivanja odabranih Agg+ sojeva laktobacila za komponente ekstracelularnog matriksa (ECM) zapaţen je širok dijapazon sposobnosti vezivanja za kolagen - od intenzivnog afiniteta vezivanja do odsustva sposobnosti vezivanja za matriks. Pritom su pojedini sojevi, BGGR2- 68 i BGGR2-82, ispoljili sposobnost vezivanja za plastiku (formiranje biofilma). Analizom plazmidnog sastava Agg+ sojeva konstatovano je prisustvo velikih plazmida u svim sojevima, a ĉišćenjem plazmida iz sojeva BGNJ1-64 i BGSJ2-8 potvrĊena je plazmidna lokacija gena odgovornih za ekspresiju agregacionog fenotipa. Nakon konstrukcije i analize plazmidnih biblioteka sojeva BGNJ1-64 i BGSJ2-8, izolovan je konstrukt pALb35 (koji nosi SacI fragment veliĉine 11,4 kb poreklom iz plazmida pNJ1 soja BGNJ1-64) koji dovodi do ponovne pojave autoagregacionog fenotipa transformisanog heterologog domaćina BGKP1-20 (Agg-)...Response of bacteria to different environmental factors as well as their communication primarily depends on the processes that occur on their cell surface. Due to the continuously increasing number of application possibilities of lactobacilli, both in the food industry and in medicine (in the prevention and/or treatment of the disease), there is a need for a more comprehensive characterization of the components that form the surface layer of these bacteria. Aggregation ability of bacteria, determined by factors located on the cell surface could be considered as a desirable trait in the selection of probiotics. Since it plays an important role in the interaction between bacteria, in interaction with the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract plus contributing to the bacterial capability to adhere to different surfaces, which is an important feature enabling them to successfully colonize diverse habitats. Lactobacilli collection of Laboratory for molecular microbiology was screened for the presence of strains possessing the aggregation ability (Agg+) and for the further work eleven strains have been selected: BGSJ2-8, BGGR2-68, BGGR2-82, BGDP1-84, BGDP9-38, BGNJ1-3, BGNJ1-61, BGNJ1-64, BGNJ1-70, BGZLS30-6 and BGAR75 which, according to the level of aggregation and the appearance of the aggregates formed, could be clasified into three groups: the fast, the medium and the slow aggregating ones or into the groups of those forming large, medium or small aggregates wherein a direct correlation between the aggregation kinetics and the type of the formed aggregates was found. By analyzing the binding ability of the selected Agg+ strains of lactobacilli to the components of extracellular matrix (ECM) a wide range of binding capacity to collagen was observed, varying from the intensive to the complete lack of the binding capacity to the matrix. Two strains (BGGR2-68 and BGGR2-82) showed the ability to bind even to plastics (form biofilms). By analyzing the plasmid composition of Agg+ strains, the presence of large plasmids was detected in all strains. The plasmid curing experiments confirmed the plasmid location of the gene(s) responsible for the expression of aggregation phenotype in strains BGNJ1-64 and BGSJ2-8. After the construction and analysis of BGNJ1-64 and BGSJ2-8 strains plasmid libraries, selected construct pALb35 (which carries the SacI fragment of 11.4 kb. derived from plasmid pNJ1 from strain BGNJ1-64) was able to reconstitute the autoagreggation ability of the transformed heterologous host BGKP1-20 (Agg-)..

Getting the balance right: Established and emerging therapies for major depressive disorders

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and serious illness of our times, associated with monoamine deficiency in the brain. Moreover, increased levels of cortisol, possibly caused by stress, may be related to depression. In the treatment of MDD, the use of older antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants is decreasing rapidly, mainly due to their adverse effect profiles. In contrast, the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors and newer antidepressants, which have dual modes of action such as inhibition of the serotonin and noradrenaline or dopamine reuptake, is increasing. Novel antidepressants have additive modes of action such as agomelatine, a potent agonist of melatonin receptors. Drugs in development for treatment of MDD include triple reuptake inhibitors, dual-acting serotonin reuptake inhibitors and histamine antagonists, and many more. Newer antidepressants have similar efficacy and in general good tolerability profiles. Nevertheless, compliance with treatment for MDD is poor and may contribute to treatment failure. Despite the broad spectrum of available antidepressants, there are still at least 30% of depressive patients who do not benefit from treatment. Therefore, new approaches in drug development are necessary and, according to current research developments, the future of antidepressant treatment may be promising

In service in educational policy of Serbia

Na deklarativnom nivou stručno usavršavanje nastavnika je kamen temeljac sveobuhvatne obrazovne politike Republike Srbije, bez kojeg se ne može zamisliti sprovođenje nijedne od pojedinačnih obrazovnih politika (kao što su npr. politika inkluzivnog obrazovanja, obrazovanja odraslih i sl.). INSET-om, kao prioritetnim područjem, bavila se država kroz intenzivnu zakonodavnu aktivnost tokom proteklih dvanaest godina. Te promene nisu bile konzistentne i nisu se uvek kretale u istom pravcu. Kao posledica takvih lutanja javila se potreba za istraživanjem koje bi se bavilo stepenom sprovođenja (realizacije) formulisane obrazovne politike stručnog usavršavanja nastavnika. Ova obrazovna politika predviđa obaveznost stručnog usavršavanja nastavnika pod pretnjom gubitka nastavničke licence, nudi mogućnost napredovanja nastavnika u profesiji, određuje jedinicu lokalne samouprave kao instancu odgovornu za finansiranje INSET-a, kao i načine regulisanja ponude obrazovnih programa stručnog usavršavanja. Kako sprovođenje politike obaveznog stručnog usavršavanja nastavnika izgleda u praksi, kao i moguće razloge za takvo stanje, pokušali smo da predstavimo ovim radom.At the declarative level, in-service of teachers is a cornerstone of the whole educational policy of the Republic of Serbia, and without it, there is no managing of any of single educational policies (such as policy of inclusive education, adult education, etc.). INSET, as the priority area, was the concern of the state through intensive legislative activates in recent twelve years. Those changes were not coexistent and did not go in the same direction. As the consequence of such searching, there was the need for the research which would deal with the degree of managing (realisation) of the formulated educational policy of in-service of teachers. This educational policy predicts compulsory in-service of teachers with warning of losing the teacher's licence, and it offers possibilities for teacher's professional development, determines the unit of local management as an instance responsible for financing INSET, as well as measures of regulating offers of educational programmes of professional development. The policy of managing policy of compulsory professional development in praxis and possible reasons for this state are presented in this paper

Methylprednisolone inhibits interleukin-17 and interferon-gamma expression by both naive and primed T cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing cells are increasingly considered to be the major pathogenic population in various autoimmune disorders. The effects of glucocorticoids, widely used as therapeutics for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, on IL-17 generation have not been thoroughly investigated so far. Therefore, we have explored the influence of methylprednisolone (MP) on IL-17 expression in rat lymphocytes, and compared it to the effect of the drug on interferon (IFN)-γ.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Production of IL-17 in mitogen-stimulated lymph node cells (LNC) from non-treated rats, as well as in myelin basic protein (MBP)-stimulated draining LNC from rats immunized with spinal cord homogenate and complete Freund's adjuvant was significantly reduced by MP. The reduction was dose-dependent, sustained through the follow-up period of 48 hours, and was not achieved through anti-proliferative effect. Additionally, MP inhibited IL-17 production in purified T cells as well, but to less extent than in LNC. In its influence on IL-17 production MP inhibited Ror-γT transcription factor expression, as well as Jun phosphorylation, but not ERK or p38 activation in mitogen-stimulated LNC. Importantly, MP collaborated with IFN-γ in inhibiting IL-17 generation in LNC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The observed difference in the effect of MP on IL-17 and IFN-γ could be important for the understanding of the variability in the efficiency of glucocorticoids in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.</p

Farmaceut u zdravstvenom timu za terapiju depresija i anksioznosti

The complexities of actions, pharmacokinetic characteristics, potential for interactions of antidepressants and anxiolitics require wide range of issues to consider in the provision of pharmaceutical care. Pharmacists have an important role to play in providing information for patients about interactions of antidepressants and anxiolitics with the other drugs, adverse reactions, duration of treatment, dosage in the context of minimum and maximum dosages, withdrawal syndrome of benzodiazepines, antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Support of adherence to therapy, individualization of care and follow-up are important issues for pharmacists in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Pharmacists" accessibility and their expertise in the use of medicines mean that they are well placed to provide information for patients, but strategies to optimize the ability of pharmacists to perform such roles need to be developed.S obzirom na poziciju i znanje, uloga farmaceuta je da prati bolesnika i pruži mu podršku i potrebne informacije u svim fazama terapije. Individualni pristup i praćenje pacijenta su ključni elementi za farmakoterapijski uspeh u lečenju mentalnih bolesti. Takav pristup zahteva organizaciju primarne zdravstvene zaštite zasnovanu na multidisciplinarnom sistemu u kojem farmaceuti, svojim znanjem i veštinama, kao i neposrednim kontaktom koji imaju sa pacijentom, zauzimaju značajno mesto u sprovođenju terapije i unapređenju kvaliteta života pacijenata sa depresijom i anksioznošću

Interaction of biomaterial containing calcium hydroxyapatite/poly-l-lactide with simulated body fluid

The purpose of biomaterials is to replace a part or a function of the body in a safe, physiologically and economically acceptable way. The process of the reconstruction of bone defects has always been a big problem in orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery. Since hydroxyapatite (HAp) was detected as a component, the predominant constituent and the integral element of Mammalian bones, the development of the phospate ceramics as potential materials for implantation was enabled. This study investigated whether and in which way biomaterial calcium hydroxyapatite/poly-L-lactide (HAp/PLLA) interacts with the ionic composition of the human plasma. The simulated body fluid (SBF) is an artificial fluid that has the ionic composition and ionic concentration similar to the human blood plasma. HAp/PLLA was incubated for 1, 2, 3 and 5 weeks in SBF. The surfaces of both treated and untreated materials were analyzed on a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and were also exposed to the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), while SBF was submitted to the measuring of pH and electrical conductivity. However, our results indicate that the degradational changes of the material HAp/PLLA in SBF start from the surface of the treated material and that observed changes are the consequence of dissolution of its polymer component and the precipitation of the material similar to hydroxyapatite on its surface. This material shows good characteristics that place it among good candidates for the application in orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery

Expression of bacteriocin LsbB is dependent on a transcription terminator

The production of LsbB, leaderless class II bacteriocin, is encoded by genes (lsbB and lmrB) located on plasmid pMN5 in Lactococcus lactis BGMN1-5. Heterologous expression of the lsbB gene using the pAZIL vector (pAZIL-lsbB) in L. lactis subsp. cremoris MG7284 resulted in a significant reduction (more than 30 times) of bacteriocin LsbB expression. Subcloning and deletion experiments with plasmid pMN5 revealed that full expression of LsbB requires the presence of a complete transcription terminator located downstream of the lsbB gene. RNA stability analysis revealed that the presence of a transcription terminator increased the RNA stability by three times and the expression of LsbB by 30 times. The study of the influence of transcription terminator on the expression of other bacteriocin genes (lcnB, for lactococcin B production) indicated that this translational terminator likely functions in a lsbB-specific manner rather than in a general manner