Atropine and Scopolamine in Maize Products from the Retail Stores in the Republic of Serbia.

The cereal grains, which represent the cultivated grasses fruits, supply almost half of the total caloric requirements for humans and provide more nourishment compared with any other class of the food. Out of many cereals used for food, maize, rice, and wheat are the most important food resources for humans, representing 94% of the total cereals consumption. According to the data of the Republic Institute of Statistics for the year 2018, the harvested areas of corn amount to 906,753 hectares. The production of about 7 million tons was achieved with an average yield of 7.7 t/ha according to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Serbia. Serbia is still among the ten largest exporters of wheat and corn in the world for the period of 2014/15-2017/18. More precisely, it ranks seventh in the export of corn. Utilization of maize products for food animal nutrition (1000 t) is 491,48, and for industrial processing (1000 t) 278,862 expressed as the total consumption (1000 t) is 769,910. Therefore, a total of 103 samples of maize products were analyzed for the presence of toxins, i.e., tropane alkaloids (TAs). The samples were collected from the retail stores in the Republic of Serbia in 2021 and analyzed for the presence of atropine and scopolamine (33 corn grits, 39 polenta, and 31 semolina samples). Therefore, the Recommendation 2015/976/EU on the monitoring of TAs in food was adopted by the EU Commission to obtain more occurrence data on TAs in food. The monitoring extent, however, is restricted because reliable analytical methods and appropriate sensitivity are limited. There was a limit of 1 g/kg for each atropine and scopolamine in cereals containing millet, sorghum, buckwheat, or their derivatives. All the samples were analyzed by the LC-MS/MS. The LOQ was set at 1.0 µg/kg. Out of the total 103 tested samples, 32 samples (31.1%) were contaminated with atropine and scopolamine in concentrations above the LOQ. The highest concentrations of the studied TAs were observed in a semolina sample-atropine: 58.80 µg/kg, scopolamine: 10.20 µg/kg. The obtained results indicate that the TAs concentrations are above the LOQ which can be considered potential human and animal health hazards.

Production of bioethanol from pre-treated cotton fabrics and waste cotton materials.

This study highlights the potential of cotton fabric as a promising feedstock for the production of bioethanol as renewable biofuel. The effect of corona pre-treatment of non-mercerized and mercerized cotton fabrics on glucose and ethanol yield is discussed. Fermentation kinetics for ethanol production and the basic process parameters were assessed and compared. Corona pre-treatment of cotton fabrics led to an increase in the glucose yield (compared to control sample) during enzymatic hydrolysis, and consequently the ethanol yield during fermentation by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus. The system with mercerized cotton fabric was found to be superior obtaining an ethanol productivity of 0.900g/Lh and ethanol yield of 0.94g/g (based on glucose) after 6h of fermentation time. The similar results were obtained during processing of waste cotton materials performed under the same process conditions. The obtained results showed that cotton fabric could become an alternative feedstock for the bioethanol production. For potential industrial implementation the waste mercerized cotton scraps would be the materials of choice.

DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

History of marital infertility is as long as history of human :ivilization. Becoming aware about the importance of procreation, as well as the problems with which people may confront, has been the subject of interest since the moment of the first human community creation. Historically, each stage of social development, hence the development of science, has carried within itself certain findings more or less acceptable from today's point of view. The development of human awareness and acquisition of findings based on empirical evidence have contributed to understanding and solution of the problem which was considered to be a result of force majeure until that moment and therefore could not be influenced. This paper deals with the previously mentioned issues through the review of historical development of assisted reproductive technology and its importance. The authors' intention was to present the developmental road of assisted reproductive technology through history succinctly with a special emphasis on the moments which have been of the crucial importance and which have marked certain stages of its development.

Integrated production of lactic acid and biomass on distillery stillage.

The possibilities of parallel lactic acid and biomass production in batch and fed-batch fermentation on distillery stillage from bioethanol production were studied. The highest lactic acid yield and productivity of 92.3 % and 1.49 g L(-1) h(-1) were achieved in batch fermentation with initial sugar concentration of 55 g L(-1). A significant improvement of the process was achieved in fed-batch fermentation where the concentration of lactic acid was increased to 47.6 % and volumetric productivity for 21 % over the batch process. A high number of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 viable cells of 10(9) CFU ml(-1) was attained at the end of fed-batch fermentation. The survival of 92.9 % of L. rhamnosus cells after 3 h of incubation at pH 2.5 validated that the fermentation media remained after lactic acid removal could be used as a biomass-enriched animal feed thus making an additional value to the process.

Lactic acid production on liquid distillery stillage by Lactobacillus rhamnosus immobilized onto zeolite.

In this study, lactic acid and biomass production on liquid distillery stillage from bioethanol production with Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 was studied. The cells were immobilized onto zeolite, a microporous aluminosilicate mineral and the lactic acid production with free and immobilized cells was compared. The immobilization allowed simple cell separation from the fermentation media and their reuse in repeated batch cycles. A number of viable cells of over 10(10) CFU g(-1) of zeolite was achieved at the end of fourth fermentation cycle. A maximal process productivity of 1.69 g L(-1), maximal lactic acid concentration of 42.19 g L(-1) and average yield coefficient of 0.96 g g(-1) were achieved in repeated batch fermentation on the liquid stillage without mineral or nitrogen supplementation.

Effect of different fermentation parameters on L-lactic acid production from liquid distillery stillage.

Expansion of lactic acid applications, predominantly for the preparation of biodegradable polymers increased the research interest for new, economically favourable production processes. Liquid stillage from bioethanol production can be an inexpensive, valuable source of nutrients for growth of lactic acid bacteria. Utilisation of residual biomass with spent fermentation media as a functional animal feed can greatly influence the process value and its ecological aspect. In this paper, the kinetics of lactic acid and biomass production on liquid stillage by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 was studied. In addition, the impact of temperature, inoculum concentration, shaking and pH control by addition of CaCO(3) was evaluated. Maximal lactic acid yield of 73.4%, as well as high biomass production (3×10(8) CFU ml(-1)) were achieved under selected conditions (41°C, 5% (v/v) of inoculum, 1% (w/v) of CaCO(3), initial pH of 6.5 and shaking rate of 90 rpm). These results were achieved without supplementation of the stillage with nitrogen or mineral sources.

[Level of knowledge about sexually transmitted infections in the population of female students at the University of Novi Sad].

INTRODUCTION: The reason for extremely high incidence of sexually transmitted inflections is the lack of necessary knowledge about the mode of transmission and protection measures. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge about sexually transmitted infections in the population of female students of the University of Novi Sad. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 397 female students at the University of Novi Sad from different faculties. A questionnaire was designed for the purpose of this research. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Students from all faculties (55.7-66.7%), with the exception of the medical students, believe that the use of condoms is the safest way of protection from sexually transmitted infections. The medical students showed a different attitude and opinion on the use of condoms and avoidance of multiple sexual partners, which are important measures in the prevention of these diseases (38.8%). The fact that some sexually transmitted infections caused by viruses are associated with the malignancy of the cervix was recognized by 74.81% of students. The fact that the main therapeutic approach for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases is the simultaneous treatment of both partners was known by 81.86% of female students. As it is known, sexually transmitted infections may not always be symptomatic, which is an opinion held by 73.55% of students. CONCLUSION: Results obtained in this study indicate the need for implementation of educational activities about sexually transmitted infections, which would enable the preservation and promotion of reproductive health of young people.

Systemic manifestations in the course of meningococcal disease.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Meningococcal disease most often manifests itself as meningitis or sepsis. During the course of these diseases, other clinical events sometimes develop such as pneumonia, pericarditis, arthritis, and they are referred to as extrameningeal or systemic manifestations of the meningococcal disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the type and the incidence of particular extrameningeal/systemic manifestations among patients with meningococcal meningitis and sepsis, including time of their onset and the influence on the disease outcome. METHODS: The retrospective study of the medical records of 246 patients treated for meningococcal disease over the 25-year period in the Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Belgrade was conducted. The patients, aged 3 months to 82 years both sexes, were divided into two groups. RESULTS: Out of 246 patients extrameningeal/systemic manifestations were found in 42 (17.1%) patients: 35 (14.2%) occurred during meningitis, and seven (2.8%) during sepsis. Pulmonary manifestations (mostly pneumonia) were the most prevalent, found in 12 (4.9%) patients, followed by heart involvement in nine (3.6%) patients (mostly pericarditis, in seven or 2.8% patients). Various ophthalmic manifestations occurred in seven (2.8%), arthritis in 4 (1.6%) and sinusitis in six (2.4%) patients. Otitis, multiple renal embolisms with hematuria, osteomyelitis and thrombophlebitis were evidenced in one patient, each. Most of the systemic manifestations (30 patients or 71.4%), developed within the initial three days of the disease (p < 0.01), suggesting direct pathogenic mechanism induced by meningococci per se, while only three (7.1%) developed after seven days, when immune-mediated disease was more likely. Even though these manifestations complicate and prolong treatment of the meningococcal disease, they had no major influence on the disease outcome. Lethal outcome occurred in 2 (4.76%) patients, both with the meningococcal type of the disease. CONCLUSION: Extrameningeal or systemic manifestations are uncommon complications during the course of both meningococcal meningitis and sepsis. The onset of pneumonia, pericarditis, eye involvement, and arthritis, within the initial seven days of the disease, were most prevalent in the course of meningitis. They had no major influence on the disease outcome.

[Neurocysticercosis--pathogenesis and clinical aspects].

Neurocysticercosis is an infestation of the central nervous system with the larval cysts of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium), when a man is paratenic host of the parasite. The infection results from ingestion of food or water contaminated with human feces containing the parasitic eggs. Much rarely, the infection is caused by autoinoculation, when the mature parasites are present in the small intestines, and reversed peristalsis gives rise to regurgitation of gravid proglottides (internal auto-infestation), or by ingestion of the eggs from one's own feces (external auto-infestation). The embryos (oncospheres) develop from the eggs, penetrating the small intestine mucosa and entering the circulation and subsequently different tissues and organs where cysticerci, small tissue larvae, are developed. Cysticerci have specific affinity for the central nervous system, eyes and striated muscles what is accounted for high concentration of glucose or glycogen in these organs. Neurocysticercosis is the most frequent parasitic disease of the central nervous system and the most common cause of convulsions and hydrocephalus in the adults in endemic regions, where the seroprevalence of disease is about 4% of population. Neurocysticercosis is classified into six clinical syndromes: asymptomatic, parenchymal, subarachnoid, intraventricular, spinal and ocular forms. Albendazole (benzimidazole) of 15 mg/kg/BW during 8-28 days or praziquantel (pyrazolone quinoline) of 50-60 mg/kg/BW during 15 days (or 100 mg/kg/BW only one day) are applied for treatment of neurocysticercosis.

[Brucellosis--diagnostic dilemmas--case report]. / Bruceloza--dijagnosticke dileme--prikaz bolesnika.

The authors present a case of a 20-year old student from Belgrade, who was admitted to the Institute of Infectious Diseases with fever, muscle and spine pains, strong headache and malice. During the clinical examination bilateral sacroileitis was found. Serological analyses confirmed brucellosis. Epidemiological data showed that she lived in Kosovo and Metohia in 1997, where she consumed diary products from domestic animals; this might be the reason of the acquired infection. With appropriate antibiotic therapy (aminoglycoside, doxicyclin, rifampicin), symptomatic therapy and rehabilitation the disease had favourable outcome; there was no recidive. The authors point out the importance of specific microbiological examinations of patients with fever of unknown origin, especially if the patient has the symptoms that are compatible with brucellosis. In our case it was sacroileitis, as a characteristic complication. As brucellosis is endemic in some parts of our country, there is always a possibility of brucellosis in general medical practice.