Comparative biomonitoring of airborne potentially toxic elements using mosses (Hypnum cupressiforme, Brachythecium spp.) and lichen (Evernia prunastri) over remote areas.

The selection of the appropriate biomonitor species is a crucial criterion for biomonitoring on a broad spatial scale. Mosses Hypnum cupressiforme and Brachythecium spp. and lichen Evernia prunastri were sampled at 22 remote sites over Serbia aiming interspecies comparison of their bioconcentration capacities.

The Application of Ultrasonic Waves and Microwaves to Improve Antihyperglycaemic and Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts.

Having scarce information about ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) of white horehound ( L.), the idea has emerged to determine the optimal process parameters for the maximization of polyphenols and to compare the efficiency of these green extraction technologies. The optimal UAE parameters are temperature of 73.

Implantation of Chromate Transporter Increases Chromate Tolerance in .

Chromium of anthropogenic origin contaminates the environment worldwide. The toxicity of chromium, a group I human carcinogen, is greatest when it is in a hexavalent oxidation state, Cr(VI). Cr(VI) is actively transported into the cell, triggering oxidative damage intracellularly.

Influence of broadleaf forest vegetation on atmospheric deposition of airborne radionuclides.

The activities of airborne radionuclides Be and unsupported Pb (Pb) were measured in moss samples taken from 17 different locations. The objective was to estimate the influence of the broadleaf forest vegetation on atmospheric deposition of airborne radionuclides attached to aerosols. Two moss samples were collected at each location: within the forest stand (inside the area of the tree canopy projection) and within forest openings (outside the area of the tree canopy projection).

A chemical and microbiological characterization and toxicity assessment of the Pančevo industrial complex wastewater canal sediments, Serbia.

The wastewater canal Vojlovica of the Pančevo industrial area, Serbia, is the main collector of the effluents from the local industrial complex. The canal is directly connected to the Europe's second largest river, the Danube. Here, we present a chemical and microbiological analysis of the sediment in order to determine the fate of pollutants over the years, as well as its current condition.

Meat industry wastewater: microbiological quality and antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli and Salmonella sp. isolates, case study in Vojvodina, Serbia.

Wastewater from meat processing industries is a fusion of compounds with a high load of organic matter, and pathogen microorganisms like Escherichia coli, and Salmonella sp. The aim of this research was to determine microbiological characteristics of the wastewater discharged from the meat processing industry in order to get a more detailed insight into meat industry wastewater pollution, and to evaluate the resistance of bacterial strains E. coli and Salmonella sp.

Beryllium-7 and (210)Pb atmospheric deposition measured in moss and dependence on cumulative precipitation.

This paper focuses on analysis of the time series of (7)Be and (210)Pb activity measured in moss, and the amount, as well as duration of precipitation, to gain a better understanding of the possible relationships between airborne radionuclide deposition and precipitation. Here we consider whether the amount of these airborne radionuclides in moss samples is a cumulative measure of radionuclide deposition and decay, and a new approach for analyses of the relationships between precipitation and moss activity concentrations is suggested. Through these analyses it was shown that comparison of cumulative activity measured at one location using moss, normalized by values of cumulative amount or duration of precipitation, showed different regimes of airborne radionuclide deposition.

Using chemical desorption of PAHs from sediment to model biodegradation during bioavailability assessment.

This work compares the biodegradation potential of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene, chosen as representatives of the 3, 4 and 5 ring PAHs) with their desorption from sediment by XAD4 resin and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD). The biodegradation study was conducted under various conditions (biostimulation, bioaugmentation and their combination). The results show that total PAH removal in all treatments except biostimulation gave similar results, whereby the total amount of PAHs was decreased by about 30-35%.

Correlation of unsupported ²¹⁰Pb activity in soil and moss.

The activities of unsupported (210)Pb, a naturally occurring radionuclide, were measured in samples of soil and terrestrial mosses collected in Serbia. Considering that clay particles in soil have a high affinity for Pb adsorption, and that mosses usually capture aerosol particles to obtain necessary nutrients, measurable amounts of airborne (210)Pb, the daughter of (222)Rn, can be registered in both soil and mosses. The objective of the present study was to determine if it is possible to compare the activity of unsupported (210)Pb in soil and moss collected at the same sampling site, and to establish if a correlation exists between these measured values.

Country-specific correlations across Europe between modelled atmospheric cadmium and lead deposition and concentrations in mosses.

Previous analyses at the European scale have shown that cadmium and lead concentrations in mosses are primarily determined by the total deposition of these metals. Further analyses in the current study show that Spearman rank correlations between the concentration in mosses and the deposition modelled by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) are country and metal-specific. Significant positive correlations were found for about two thirds or more of the participating countries in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 (except for Cd in 1990).

Detection of enteroviruses in clinical samples of patients with aseptic meningitis by rapid antigen detection assay.

Introduction: Human enteroviruses represent the most common etiological agents of aseptic meningitis. Rapid diagnosis of aseptic meningitis affects the management of patients.

Objective: The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of rapid antigen detection (RAD) assay for the confirmation of human enteroviruses in comparison to that of the conventional cell culture (CCC), and to identify the serotypes associated with aseptic meningitis cases in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Satureja kitaibelii essential oil against pathogenic microbial strains.

Plant species Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. is used as a spice and as a natural preservative for food and herbal tea, owing to its characteristic scent and flavor as well as high antimicrobial activity.

Airborne radionuclides in mosses collected at different latitudes.

Terrestrial mosses are a promising medium for investigation and monitoring of airborne radionuclide depositions due to their widespread occurrence, ease of sampling, and the possibility of high-resolution gamma spectrometry measurements without preparatory chemical treatment of samples. The overall objective of the present study was to compare (7)Be, (210)Pb and (137)Cs activity concentrations (in Bq/kg) in moss samples collected at two different climate zones: the south of Thailand (7 °N) and in Serbia (∼45 °N) in order to examine deposition of airborne radionuclide in these distant areas. Significant difference of the (210)Pb content (almost a factor of 2) in mosses was observed.

Temporal variations of 7Be, 210Pb and 137Cs in moss samples over 14 month period.

Concentrations of (210)Pb, (7)Be and (137)Cs in moss samples were continuously measured, using low-background HPGe spectrometer at Novi Sad, Serbia (45 degrees 14'45''N, 19 degrees 51'35''E). Weekly data collected over 14 month period from January 2007 to March 2008 are presented and discussed. Measured values of (7)Be activity concentrations in dry moss samples are ranged from 201 to 920 Bq/kg showing prominent increase in summer and autumn season.

Possible use of terrestrial mosses in detection of atmospheric deposition of 7Be over large areas.

The activities of naturally occurring radionuclides (7)Be, (214)Bi and (210)Pb were measured in samples of terrestrial mosses collected in Serbia (42 degrees 26'19''N-45 degrees 23'12''N). The objective of this work was to establish if detectable amounts of (7)Be and (210)Pb can be found in mosses and investigate their possible variabilities over some area. These are the first steps in introducing mosses as a medium in possible monitoring of spatial distribution of (7)Be atmospheric deposition.

Engineering of stable recombinant bacteria for production of chiral medium-chain-length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates.

In order to scale up medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) production in recombinant microorganisms, we generated and investigated different recombinant bacteria containing a stable regulated expression system for phaC1, which encodes one of the mcl-PHA polymerases of Pseudomonas oleovorans. We used the mini-Tn5 system as a tool to construct Escherichia coli 193MC1 and P. oleovorans POMC1, which had stable antibiotic resistance and PHA production phenotypes when they were cultured in a bioreactor in the absence of antibiotic selection.

[Regulation of intraocular pressure using argon laser trabeculoplasty in various forms of open-angle glaucoma].

Argon laser trabeculoplasty was applied in 43 patients, 46 eyes. 34 eyes had had primary open-angle glaucoma, while 12 eyes had secondary open-angle glaucoma where no compensation of intraocular pressure was achieved although maximal medical therapy was conducted. Applying argon laser trabeculoplasty the intraocular pressure was normalized in 86% of eyes with a primary glaucoma considering period of 18.

[Dry eye as a therapeutic problem].

Effects of substitution therapy was investigated in 42 patients having the dry eye syndrome associated with systemic diseases of connective tissues (systemic lupus, Sjögren's syndrome, etc). Artificial tears were applied: Liquifilm sol, Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 0.3% (HPMC) and Ocutal sol.