Population dynamics of spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in orchards in the Zagreb area

Invazivna vrsta Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931.), prvi put je zabilježena u Hrvatskoj 2010. godine. Od tada proširila se na području Hrvatske, ali njezina prisutnost još nije potvrđena u gradu Zagrebu. U ovom istraživanju dinamika populacije vrste D. suzukii istraživana je u tri voćnjaka u Zagrebu (Maksimir, Jelenovac, Zelenjak) u razdoblju od 20. ožujka do 27. studenoga 2017. godine. Za praćenje vrste korištene su hranidbene lovke na bazi jabučnog octa. Let štetnika započeo je u razdoblju od 27. lipnja do 11. srpnja i trajao je do 27. studenog 2017. godine. Ukupno su ulovljena 874 primjerka vrste (Jelenovac 187, Maksimir 232 i Zelenjak 455). Od rujna do studenog zabilježen je neprekidni let i velik porast broja ulovljenih muha, što pretpostavlja prisutnost više generacija štetnika na području istraživanja. Osim pogodnih biljaka, domaćina, razvoj šetnika na ovom području omogućen je i povoljnim klimatskim uvjetima. Utvrđena populacija štetnika u gradu Zagrebu predstavlja opasnost za proizvođače voća u Zagrebačkoj županiji. Rezultati istraživanja doprinos su boljem poznavanju populacije i širenju štetnika na području Hrvatske.The invasive species Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931), the spotted wing drosophila, was first recorded in Croatia in 2010. Since then, it has spread on Croatian territory but its presence has not yet been confirmed in the City of Zagreb. In this research population dynamics of D. suzukii was investigated in three orchards in Zagreb (Maksimir, Jelenovac, Zelenjak) in the period from 20th of March to 27th of November 2017. Feeding traps with apple vinegar were used for catching D. suzukii. The flight began in the period from 27th of June to 11th of July and lasted until 27th of November. The total pest catches were 874 specimens (Jelenovac 187, Maksimir 232 and Zelenjak 455). From September to November there was a continuous flight and a large increase in the number of caught flies, suggesting the presence of more overlapping generations. Besides the host plants, the development of the pest in this area is also enabled by suitable climatic conditions. The present population in the City of Zagreb County poses a danger to fruit producers in the Zagreb County. The results of this research are a contribution to better understanding of the population and the spread of the pest in Croatia

Karakterizacija Intor:Swiss soja albino miševa donetog u Institut za virusologiju, vakcine i serume - Torlak početkom XX veka

The Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera Torlak was established in 1927, while the first vaccine was produced in the Institute in 1930. Vaccines production implies using experimental animals, including mice, in in-process controls. The laboratory mice which have been in use in Torlak Institute from the very beginning belong to Swiss albino outbred stock. This stock, which has been in use for more than 80 years contains a large number of mice maintained at all times, was recently named Intor:Swiss. Biological characteristics of Intor:Swiss stock, are presented in this paper for the first time. Taking into account the presented characteristics, the Institute Torlak's Swiss mice are suitable for use in pharmaceutical studies, vaccine development research and basic research, as well as in toxicological studies. The publication of data on the Intor:Swiss mice represents a contribution to the international scientific community, since it offers the possibility for obtaining an additional outbred mouse stock for research.Institut za Virusologiju, vakcine i serume Torlak, osnovan je 1927., a prva vakcina u Institutu proizvedena je 1930. Proizvodnja vakcina je složen proces koji između ostalog podrazumeva i korišćenje eksperimentalnih životinja u kontroli samog procesa. Laboratorijski miševi koji su od samog početka bili u upotrebi u Institutu Torlak, pripadaju Swiss albino outbred soju. Ova kolonija je u upotrebi više od 80 godina i sve vreme se sastoji od velikog broja jedinki što omogućava očuvanje genetske raznolikosti, pa samim tim i outbred karakteristika. Ovi miševi su odnedavno registrovani pod imenom Intor:Swiss, i njihove biološke osobine su u ovom radu prikazane po prvi put. Swiss miševi Instituta Torlak pogodni su za upotrebu u farmaceutskim studijama, za razvojno istraživanje vakcina, osnovna istraživanja i toksikološka ispitivanja. Zbog svega navedenog Intor:Swiss miševi predstavljaju još jedan pogodan animalni model za ispitivanje lekova i vakcina

ANALYSIS OF REPORTING ON MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES IN SERBIAN MEDIA DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN LONDON 2012

The main goal of this paper was to find out more about how and to what extent the local media reported on sporting events at the 2012 London Olympics and to determine the difference in reporting on male and female athletes in the local media. The subject of the research are newspaper articles about sports in electronic news editions, which influence the formation of the media image about athletes, and which can contribute to the affirmation or marginalization of women in sports. In this research for collecting data and information about athletes at the Olympic Games, three media sources were used: RTS, KURIR and POLITIKA. The data have been collected since the opening of the Olympic Games until their official closing ceremony and every day was thoroughly processed in all three media sources. The information included information on the gender of the author of the text, the number of photos in the text, the number of words in the text, the gender of the actors who are on the photos, the level of exposure of the actor's bodies in the photos, the emotions in the photos, the angle of the camera, individual and group display of athletes, active or passive on-site and out-of-court conditions. Generally speaking, the findings of this research in the media space of Serbia show that there is still an imbalance in the way men and women athletes are represented, and that in this respect, there is a need for certain changes in this issue

Monoklonsko antitelo 26 napravljeno na tetanus toksoidu reaguje i sa tetanus toksinom i β2-glikoproteinom I - karakteristike vezivanja in vitro i moguća primena

A murine monoclonal IgG1 antibody, marked as MAb26, specific for tetanus toxoid has been immunochemically characterized. By performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and western blot analyses, it was demonstrated that MAb26 reacted with tetanus toxoid, tetanus toxin and β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI). According to the results, MAb26 recognized the sequential epitope on the tetanus heavy chain. The affinity constant, calculated from Scatchard plots of MAb26 binding to tetanus toxoid, was 1.145×108 M-1 and the measurement of the relative affinity of MAb26 by ELISA using thiocyanate elution showed a significantly higher affinity of MAb26 to the toxoid (p = 0.0012) in comparison to the toxin. Additionally, the reactivity of MAb26 toward the toxoid forms increased when the tetanus toxin was detoxified using 8 mM and higher formaldehyde concentrations. The similarity of the tetanus toxoid to several sera proteins, either at the level of its conformation (IL-1α) or at the level of peptide sequences (â2GPI, laminin) favors its role in autoimmunity by the mechanism of molecular mimicry. As the induction of an autoimmune disease is dependent on the breakdown of tolerance, which could be the result of an overt hyperstimulation, the control of the presence and concentration of self-reactive epitopes in vaccine preparations is a prerequisite. In this study, it was shown that MAb26 can: 1) discriminate between the tetanus toxin and different toxoid forms, which makes it a good candidate for antibody control during vaccine preparation; 2) due to its cross-reactivity with β2GPI, it could provide information on the presence of a potentially dangerous sequential epitope expressed at the protein surface.Ovaj rad opisuje imunohemijsku karakterizaciju mišjeg IgG1 monoklonskog antitela označenog kao MAt26. Enzimskim imunosorbentnim testom (ELISA) i Western blot analizom je pokazano da MAt26 reaguje sa tetanus toksoidom, tetanus toksinom i β2-glikoproteinom I (β2GPI). Prema našim rezultatima, MAt26 prepoznaje sekvencioni epitop na teškom lancu molekula tetanusa. Konstanta afiniteta MAt26 za tetanus toksoid, izračunata na osnovu Skačardovog dijagrama, je 1,145×108 M-1. Na osnovu elucije tiocijanatom, korišćene za određivanje relativnog afiniteta MAt26 za tetanus toksin i tetanus toksoid, postupkom baziranim na ELISA-i, pokazan je znatno veći (p = 0,0012) afinitet MAt26 ka toksoidnoj formi. Takođe, reaktivnost MAt26 ka toksoidnoj formi rasla je sa porastom koncentracije formaldehida, počevši od 8 mM, korišćenog u procesu detoksifikacije. Sličnost tetanus toksoida sa različitim serumskim proteinima na nivou konformacije i/ili peptidnih sekvencija (β2GPI, laminin) ukazuje na njegovu potencijalnu ulogu u indukciji autoimunosti mehanizmom molekulske mimikrije. Budući da nastanak autoimunske bolesti podrazumeva narušavanje tolerancije, na primer, prekomernom stimulacijom imunskog sistema, kontrola prisustva i koncentracije sebi sličnih epitopa se nameće kao neophodna. U ovom radu je pokazano da: 1) MAt26 može da pravi razliku između tetanus toksina i različitih toksoidnih formi što ga čini potencijalno dobrim antitelom koje bi se koristilo u kontroli tokom proizvodnje vakcina; 2) zahvaljujući unakrsnoj reaktivnosti sa β2GPI, MAt26 može da pruži informacije o prisustvu potencijalno opasnih epitopa na površini proteina

Newly designed hemagglutinin-Der p 2 chimera is a potential candidate for allergen specific immunotherapy

Aim To investigate the immunomodulatory potential of a chimera composed of the receptor-binding domain of hemagglutinin 1 (H1s) from Influenza virus and Der p 2 (D2) allergen for allergen-specific immunotherapy of house-dust mite allergy (HDM). Main methods: H1sD2 chimera and D2 allergen were produced by genetic engineering in E. coli. Recombinant antigens were extracted from inclusion bodies by urea, then refolded and purified by immobilized-metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). Purity was verified by 2D-PAGE and secondary structures were assessed by CD spectroscopy. IgE reactivity of H1sD2 and D2 was tested in western blot with sera from 8 persons with clinical history of HDM allergy. Immunogenicity of H1sD2 and D2 were analyzed in Balb/c mice. Cytokine profile was analyzed by ELISA after stimulation of mouse spleen cells with H1sD2 and D2. Leukocyte population abundance of cells isolated from spleen and lymph node was assessed by flow cytometry. Key findings: Purified recombinant proteins H1sD2 (42 kDa) and D2 (15 kDa) revealed well defined secondary structures, and preserved IgE reactive epitopes. Analysis of supernatants of mouse spleen cells after stimulation with H1sD2 and D2, revealed a qualitatively different cytokine profile from H1sD2 immunized mouse cells (increase in IL10). CD8+ cells were decreased in the lymph node of D2 immunized mice, whereas H1sD2 immunization led to an increase of CD8+ cells in both the lymph node and the spleen. Significance: H1sD2 chimera attenuates Der p 2-inherent Th2 response and directs the immune response toward Th1 and Treg phenotype

Diferentovanje timocita u organ kulturi timusa odraslih pacova

To investigate the differences between thymocytes development in vivo and in vitro, thymus lobe fragments from 12-weeks old male Albino Oxford rats were cultivated over a 7-days period. In the controls and cultivated thymic lobes fragments were evaluated and the viability, apoptosis and cell cycle of thymocytes, as well as the histological characteristics of thymic tissue. Additionally, we analyzed the expression of CD4, CD8 and TCRαβ on thymocytes by flow cytometry. The obtained results showed that thymus cellularity decreased during cultivated time due to expanded apoptosis, decreased proliferation and the absence of progenitors reseeding thymus. The relative proportion of thymocyte subsets in the first 24 hours of culture remained similar as in the control. However, cultivation for 3 and 7 days modulated the relative proportions between thymoctye subsets. The percentage of DP TCRαβlow increased, DP TCRαβhi subset remained unchanged, both SP TCRαβhi subsets decreased while the same mature SP phenotype dominated in culture media. These results demonstrate that cultivated thymic fragments retain the capacity for T cell development, although cultivation modulates this process.Sa namerom da ispitamo razlike između in vivo i in vitro sazrevanja timocita gajili smo fragmente lobusa timusa poreklom od mužjaka Albino Oksford pacova, starih dvanaest nedelja, u vremenskom periodu od sedam dana. Nakon kultivacije određivani su vijabilnost, apoptoza i ćelijski ciklus timocita, kao i histološke osobine timusnog tkiva. Takođe je analizirano ispoljavanje markera diferentovanja CD4, CD8 and TCRαβ na površini timocita metodom tečne citofluorometrije. Dobijeni rezultati su ukazali da sedmodnevna kultivacija dovodi do smanjenja broja ćelija u timusu usled povećane apoptoze, smanjene proliferacije i odsustva ulaska progenitora timocita. Tokom prvih 24 sata kultivacije ne dolazi do promena u odnosima timocitnih populacija. Međutim, duže vreme kultivacije - 3 i 7 dana moduliše relativne odnose između timocitnih subpopulacija - povećava se procenat DP TCRαβlow, procenat DP TCRαβhi timocita ostaje nepromenjen, dok su procenti ćelija oba subseta SP TCRαβhi smanjeni, mada je prisustvo pomenutih SP subsetova dominantno u medijumu za kultivaciju. Navedeni rezultati pokazuju da kultivisani fragmenti timusnog tkiva zadržavaju sposobnost da podrže sazrevanje timocita u jednostruko pozitivne T ćelije, mada je diferentovanje timocita donekle modulisano kultivacijom

The Possible Role of Natural Idiotopes in Immune Memory

In this paper we report on the generation of Abs possessing specificities similar to those of Abs used in immunization, and on the generation of Id and anti-Id specificities in the sera of mice immunized with commensal bacterial antigens

Application of the 3r concept in the production of European antiviperinum on horses - multisite, low volumes immunization protocol and Elisa

During time, both professionals and general public became aware of the importance of animal welfare. This term not only covers endangered wild animal species, animals used in food industry, pets and experimental animals, but also animals used in production of biologics. The implementation of the 3R concept (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) is especially important in this type of production. In this article, we describe for the first time the low dose, low volume and multi-site immunization protocol, as well as appropriate ELISA we developed for production of European anti-viper (V. ammodytes, long horned) antivenom in horses, which can help to significantly improve the welfare of the used animals

Uticaj različitih oblika kalcijum-hidroksida i hlorheksidina kao interseansnih medikamenata na ishod endodontskog lečenja zuba sa hroničnim periapeksnim lezijama

Introduction/Objective The aim of this study was to determine clinical and radiographic periapical healing of teeth with apical periodontitis treated with different formulations of calcium hydroxide (CH) - paste (CH-paste) and gutta-percha points (CH-GP) - as well as those of chlorhexidine (CHX) - gel (CHXgel) and gutta-percha points (CHX-GP) -12 months after therapy. Methods Eighty patients with chronic apical periodontitis were randomly allocated to four treatment groups according to the intracanal medicament used: CH-paste, CH-GP, CHX-gel, and CHX-GP group. Seventy-eight patients were analyzed clinically and radiographically 12 months postoperatively. The periapical index (PAI) was used for the radiographic evaluation of treatment. Results Overall outcome was classified according to radiographic evaluation only, since clinical success was observed in all the patients. In all the groups, significant reduction in PAI scores was observed (p lt 0.001). The proportions of healed teeth (PAI ≤ 2) were 73.7%, 60%, 68.4%, and 65% in CH-paste, CH-GP, CHX-gel and CHX-GP group, respectively, with no significant differences between the groups. Conclusion The results suggest that there are no differences between investigated CH- and CHX-delivery systems regarding treatment outcome of teeth with apical periodontitis.Uvod/Cilj Cilj ovog istraživanja je bio da se ispita klinički i radiografski ishod lečenja zuba sa apeksnim periodontitisom 12 meseci posle završene terapije i primene različitih oblika kalcijum-hidroksida (KH): pasta (KH-pasta) i gutaperka poeni (KH-GP) i hlorheksidina (HH): gel (HH-gel) i gutaperka poeni (HH-GP). Metode Randomizovano je 80 ispitanika sa hroničnim periapeksnim lezijama u četiri grupe na osnovu vrste korišćenog interseansnog medikamenta: KH-pasta, KH-GP, HH-gel i HH-GP. Dvanaest meseci posle završenog lečenja pregledano je 78 ispitanika i urađeni su retroalveolarni snimci. Za procenu radiografskog uspeha lečenja korišćen je periapikalni indeks (PI). Rezultati Ishod lečenja je klasifikovan na osnovu radiološkog nalaza jer je kod svih ispitanika zabeležen klinički uspeh lečenja. U svim ispitivanim grupama je zabeleženo značajno smanjenje vrednosti PI (p lt 0,001). Izlečenje (PI ≤ 2) uočeno je kod 73,3% zuba u grupi KH-pasta, 60% u KH-GP grupi, 68,4% u grupi HH-gel i kod 65% zuba u grupi HH-GP, pri čemu razlike između grupa nisu bile statistički značajne. Zaključak Rezultati ovog istraživanja pokazuju da ne postoji razlika u ishodu lečenja zuba sa apeksnim periodontitisom posle primene ispitivanih oblika KH i HH

Network connectivity is shown to change in C57BL/6 mice during a continuing immune response subsequent to tetanus toxoid hyperimmunization

We have already demonstrated (Stojanovic et al., 2009) a connection between tetanus toxoid (TTd) hyperimmunization and the induction of anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) in BALB/c mice. Here we show that C57BL/6 mice subjected to an identical procedure do not exhibit any like pathology attributable to anti-phospholipid antibodies; we explain that this absence results from idiotypic connectivity. Six groups of C57BL/6 mice were hyperimmunized with TTd in aluminum hydroxide or glycerol, with or without pretreatments. Pretreated mice had been injected with polyclonal or nonspecific immune stimulators, such as complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or glycerol. The epitope specificity of induced antibodies was tested by indirect ELISA using a tetanus toxoid immunogen and these autoantigens: phospholipids, gangliosides, laminin. Idiotypic connectivity was tested by competitive ELISA and gauged from the degree to which the interaction of idiotypic/anti-idiotypic complementary antibodies was inhibited in the presence of immunized sera antibodies. Higher idiotypic connectivity was noted amongst pretreated mice. There was a positive correlation between higher connectivity and autoantibody levels that acted to favor the participation of natural autoantibodies in the inhibitory process. We conclude that idiotypic connectivity plays a protective role in immunization-induced autoimmunity