Exploring Fungal Biodiversity in Crop Rotation Systems: Impact of Soil Fertility and Winter Wheat Cropping.

This study investigated soil fungal biodiversity in wheat-based crop rotation systems on Chernozem soil within the Pannonian Basin, focusing on the effects of tillage, crop rotation, and soil properties. Over three years, soil samples from ten plots were analyzed, revealing significant fungal diversity with Shannon-Wiener diversity indices ranging from 1.90 in monoculture systems to 2.

Myositis-specific autoantibodies in a non-traveler, patient from a non-endemic country, with Plasmodium vivax malaria.

Introduction: Autoantibodies (AAb) are a hallmark of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium protozoa. Individuals with malaria may present with a wide range of symptoms.

Invasive fungal disease in COVID-19 patients: a single-center prospective observational study.

Background: Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are caused by fungal infections that manifest as serious secondary infections in patients with COVID-19. The increased morbidity and mortality rates are most frequently observed in patients with COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and COVID-19-associated candidiasis (CAC). CAPA is the most frequently encountered infection with an incidence rate of 0.

Incremental costs of hospital-acquired infections in COVID-19 patients in an adult intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital from a low-resource setting.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a global public health problem and put patients at risk of complications, including death. HAIs increase treatment costs, but their financial impact on Serbia's healthcare system is unknown. Our goal was to assess incremental costs of HAIs in a tertiary care adult intensive care unit (ICU) that managed COVID-19 patients.

An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in newborns in Serbia.

Legionnaires' disease is an atypical pneumonia caused by inhaling small droplets of water containing the bacterium Legionella spp. In newborns, it is a rare event, usually associated with water births and the use of air conditioning systems or air humidifiers. A nosocomial outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the maternity ward of a secondary-care hospital in Arandjelovac, Serbia is described.

Essential Oils of Three Balkan Abies Species: Chemical Profiles, Antimicrobial Activity and Toxicity toward Artemia salina and Drosophila melanogaster.

This study focused on the essential oils (EOs) isolated from needles with twigs of three indigenous Balkan Abies species (A. alba, A. × borisii-regis and A.

Volatile Organic Compound Composition and Glandular Trichome Characteristics of In Vitro Propagated (Rochel) Bräuchler: Effect of Carbon Source.

(Rochel) Bräuchler (Lamiaceae) is an endangered species endemic to the Southern Carpathians. It is characterized by the production of high amounts of essential oils, which emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have an essential role in biotic and abiotic stress responses and in plant-plant and plant-insect interactions. The present study was initiated to phytochemically examine the influence of different carbon sources in the nutrition medium on VOC emissions of micropropagated plants, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of headspace VOCs.

Essential Oils of Six Achillea Species: Chemical Profiles, Antimicrobial Potential and Toxicity toward Crustaceans.

This is the first comparative study on antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) of six Achillea species (A. crithmifolia, A. distans, A.

COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Patients with Acute Leukemia: A Single-Center Study.

Patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) have increased susceptibility to secondary respiratory infections including invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) is difficult to diagnose and can be associated with increased mortality especially in severe immunodeficiency such as hematological malignancies. Our study evaluates IPA in COVID-19 patients defined as COVID-19-CAPA among patients with acute leukemia (AL).

Pseudotsuga menziesii (Pinaceae): Volatile Profiles, Antimicrobial Activity and Toxicological Evaluation of Its Essential Oil.

The present article investigates the chemical composition of volatiles of essential oil (EO) and headspace (HS) fraction, as well as biological activities of EO obtained from needles with twigs of Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii cultivated in Serbia. The major class of compounds was monoterpene hydrocarbons with α-terpinolene, sabinene and β-pinene (EO), and sabinene, α-terpinolene and β-pinene (HS) as the dominant volatiles.

Needle volatiles as chemophenetic markers in differentiation of natural populations of Abies alba, A. x borisii-regis, and A. cephalonica.

Seventeen native fir populations from the presumed zones of natural hybridization in the Balkan Peninsula were analyzed using headspace needle volatiles and GC-MS/FID analyses. The multivariate statistical analyses revealed clear differentiation between populations of Abies alba and A. cephalonica, suggesting that Silver and Greek Fir are characterized by distinct volatile profiles.

Trauma and Antimicrobial Resistance Are Independent Predictors of Inadequate Empirical Antimicrobial Treatment of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Critically Ill Patients.

We aimed to assess independent risk factors for inadequate initial antimicrobial treatment (IAT) in critically ill patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) treated in intensive care units (ICU) and to determine whether IAT is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with VAP. A prospective cohort study was performed and included 152 patients with VAP treated in an ICU for more than 48 hours. The main outcomes of interest were all-cause ICU mortality and VAP-related mortality.

Tigecycline susceptibility of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from intensive care units in the western Balkans.

Tigecycline can be effective to treat infections of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) however, no interpretive criteria have been approved so far. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the proportion of CRAB isolates and to compare gradient test with a broth microdilution (BMD) method for tigecycline susceptibility testing of A. baumannii.

Hospital-acquired infections in the adult intensive care unit-Epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and risk factors for acquisition and mortality.

Background: Acquisition of Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) predispose patients to higher mortality rates and additional adverse events. Serbian adult ICUs are rarely investigated for HAIs. The aim of this study was to look into HAIs in an adult ICU and identify risk factors for acquisition of HAIs and mortality.

A pilot study in Serbia by European Clostridium difficile Infection Surveillance Network.

Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile infections (CDIs) are among the most frequent healthcare-associated infections in Serbia. In 2013, Serbia participated in the European Clostridium difficile Infection Surveillance Network (ECDIS-Net) who launched a pilot study to enhance laboratory capacity and standardize surveillance for CDI. Two clinics of Clinical Center of Serbia [Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases (CITD) and Clinic of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology (COT)] from Belgrade and one general hospital from another metropolitan area of Serbia, Užice, participated.

Synthesis, characterization, DFT study, DNA/BSA-binding affinity, and cytotoxicity of some dinuclear and trinuclear gold(III) complexes.

In this study, we have synthesized a series of dinuclear and trinuclear gold(III) complexes of the general formula [Au(N-N)Cl] (1-3) for dinuclear and [Au(N-N)Cl] (4-6) for trinuclear compounds, respectively, in which N-N is a bidentate ligand (1,4-diaminobutane; 1,6-diaminohexane or 1,8-diaminooctane). These complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, and spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV-Vis, H NMR, ESI-MS). We performed DFT calculations to get insight into the geometry of the studies complexes.

Bacterial bloodstream infections in level-I trauma intensive care unit in Serbia: incidence, causative agents and outcomes.

Introduction: We aimed to describe incidence, outcomes and antimicrobial resistance markers of causative agents of bacterial BSI in the intensive care unit (ICU) in a trauma center in Serbia.

Methodology: Prospective surveillance was conducted from November 2014 to April 2016 in two trauma-surgical ICUs of the Emergency Department of Clinical center of Serbia. Bloodstream infections were diagnosed using the definitions of Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dispersive micro-solid phase extraction of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water by using thermally treated clinoptilolite, and their quantification by GC-MS.

The authors report on a novel sorbent (thermally treated natural zeolite; clinoptilolite) for use in dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water samples. The method was applied to the D-μ-SPE of 16 priority PAHs which then were quantified by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). The method was validated in terms of specificity and selectivity, linearity and linear range, accuracy, precision, uncertainty, limits of detection and quantification.

Pulmonary isolation and clinical relevance of nontuberculous mycobacteria during nationwide survey in Serbia, 2010-2015.

The rates of pulmonary colonization and disease due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) appear to be increasing globally, but diversity of species recovered as well as clinical relevance of NTM isolates differ considerably by geographic region. The first nationwide study of isolation frequency and clinical significance of NTM in Serbia included all patients with respiratory specimens yielding a positive NTM culture over the six-year period, 2010-2015. We analyzed trends in annual NTM isolation and NTM pulmonary disease (PD) incidence rates, with NTM PD cases defined in accordance with microbiological criteria established by the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS/IDSA).

Epicuticular Waxes Provide Insights into Phytochemical Differentiation of Natural Populations of Pinus mugo Turra sensu stricto.

Phytochemical diversity and differentiation of nine native populations of Pinus mugo sensu stricto from Julian Alps, Southern Carpathians and Balkan Peninsula were analyzed in regard to their epicuticular wax compounds. GC/MS and GC-FID analyses of the hexane extracts of needle samples, collected from 118 individuals of P. mugo, revealed the presence of six diterpenes, three primary alcohols and 10 n-alkanes ranging from C to C (except n-alkane C ).

Occurrence of Clostridium difficile infections in Serbia and high proportion of PCR ribotype 027 strains in two hospitals in Belgrade.

Background: The incidence of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in the Clinical Center of Serbia (CCS) and the entire Serbia has been constantly rising in the previous 5 years. We aimed to study C. difficile PCR-ribotypes isolated from patients hospitalized at two healthcare institutions: CCS and Specialized Hospital for Cerebrovascular Diseases "Sveti Sava" (SS), both of them from Belgrade, and to investigate the incidence rates of CDI in hospital settings in Serbia, from 2009 to 2013.

Presence of the esp gene in Enterococcus faecium derived from oropharyngeal microbiota of haematology patients.

Objectives: Antibiotic use and immunocompromised status in haematology patients have been shown to determine the constituents of commensal microbiota with highly increased resistance, including vancomycin resistant enterococci. We compared the carriage of virulence factor genes and the capacity for biofilm formation in vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) originating from the oropharyngeal and stool cultures of haematology patients.

Design: PCR tests were used to investigate the presence of genes encoding pathogenicity factors (esp and hyl) in VRE isolates.

Seasonal variations of Saanen goat milk composition and the impact of climatic conditions.

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of climatic conditions and their impact on seasonal variations of physico-chemical characteristics of Saanen goat milk produced over a period of 4 years. Lactation period (early, mid and late) and year were considered as factors that influence physico-chemical composition of milk. Pearson's coefficient of correlation was calculated between the physico-chemical characteristics of milk (fat, proteins, lactose, non-fat dry matter, density, freezing point, pH, titrable acidity) and climatic condition parameters (air temperature, temperature humidity index-THI, solar radiation duration, relative humidity).

Local spread of Tn1546-like element among three species of vancomycin resistant enterococci in an intensive care unit.

Introduction: In an intensive care unit (ICU) of the Emergency Center in the Clinical Center of Serbia, four species of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) were isolated in a 17-month period mostly from blood cultures, including E. faecalis, E. faecium, E.