Genomic patterns in the widespread Eurasian lynx shaped by Late Quaternary climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic impacts.

Disentangling the contribution of long-term evolutionary processes and recent anthropogenic impacts to current genetic patterns of wildlife species is key to assessing genetic risks and designing conservation strategies. Here, we used 80 whole nuclear genomes and 96 mitogenomes from populations of the Eurasian lynx covering a range of conservation statuses, climatic zones and subspecies across Eurasia to infer the demographic history, reconstruct genetic patterns, and discuss the influence of long-term isolation and/or more recent human-driven changes. Our results show that Eurasian lynx populations shared a common history until 100,000 years ago, when Asian and European populations started to diverge and both entered a period of continuous and widespread decline, with western populations, except Kirov, maintaining lower effective sizes than eastern populations. Population declines and increased isolation in more recent times probably drove the genetic differentiation between geographically and ecologically close westernmost European populations. By contrast, and despite the wide range of habitats covered, populations are quite homogeneous genetically across the Asian range, showing a pattern of isolation by distance and providing little genetic support for the several proposed subspecies. Mitogenomic and nuclear divergences and population declines starting during the Late Pleistocene can be mostly attributed to climatic fluctuations and early human influence, but the widespread and sustained decline since the Holocene is more probably the consequence of anthropogenic impacts which intensified in recent centuries, especially in western Europe. Genetic erosion in isolated European populations and lack of evidence for long-term isolation argue for the restoration of lost population connectivity.

Apoptosis and genome instability in children with autoimmune diseases.

As apoptosis and genome instability in children with autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are insufficiently investigated, we aimed to analyse them in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of children and adolescents with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), Graves' disease (GD) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), including possible factors that could affect their occurrence. The study population included 24 patients and 19 healthy controls. Apoptotic cells were detected using an Annexin V-FITC/7-AAD kit. Genome instability was measured as micronuclei (MNs) frequency using the cytokinesis-block MN assay. In addition, comet assay was performed for determination of genome instability as genome damage index (GDI) in new subpopulation of patients with T1DM. The percentage of apoptotic PBLs in patients with AID was significantly lower than in control subjects. There was a positive correlation between thyroid-stimulating homone (TSH) concentration and the proportion of cells in late stage apoptosis in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs). The MN frequency in patients was significantly higher than in controls. Individuals with HT or T1DM had a significantly higher MN frequency than those with GD. Similarly, the value of GDI in patients with T1DM was significantly higher than in controls. The level of apoptosis was positively correlated with MN frequency as well as with GDI in patients with AID. In conclusion, children with AITD (HT and GD) and T1DM have a significantly lower level of apoptosis in PBLs and significantly higher MN frequency as GDI than healthy subjects. Apoptosis and the level of genome instability in these patients with AID are positively correlated.

Circum-Mediterranean phylogeography of a bat coupled with past environmental niche modeling: A new paradigm for the recolonization of Europe?

The isolation of populations in the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas during the ice ages define four main paradigms that explain much of the known distribution of intraspecific genetic diversity in Europe. In this study we investigated the phylogeography of a wide-spread bat species, the bent-winged bat, Miniopterus schreibersii around the Mediterranean basin and in the Caucasus. Environmental Niche Modeling (ENM) analysis was applied to predict both the current distribution of the species and its distribution during the last glacial maximum (LGM). The combination of genetics and ENM results suggest that the populations of M. schreibersii in Europe, the Caucasus and Anatolia went extinct during the LGM, and the refugium for the species was a relatively small area to the east of the Levantine Sea, corresponding to the Mediterranean coasts of present-day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and northeastern and northwestern Egypt. Subsequently the species first repopulated Anatolia, diversified there, and afterwards expanded into the Caucasus, continental Europe and North Africa after the end of the LGM. The fossil record in Iberia and the ENM results indicate continuous presence of Miniopterus in this peninsula that most probably was related to the Maghrebian lineage during the LGM, which did not persist afterwards. Using our results combined with similar findings in previous studies, we propose a new paradigm explaining the general distribution of genetic diversity in Europe involving the recolonization of the continent, with the main contribution from refugial populations in Anatolia and the Middle East. The study shows how genetics and ENM approaches can complement each other in providing a more detailed picture of intraspecific evolution.

Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 infection of golden jackals Canis aureus in Serbia.

Parvoviruses are among the major animal pathogens that can cause considerable health disorders ranging from subclinical to lethal in domestic and wild animals. Golden jackal (Canis aureus), an expanding European species, is a reservoir of many pathogens, including vector-borne diseases and zoonoses. Given the importance of parvovirus infections in dogs and cats, this study aimed to unfold the virus prevalence and molecular characterisation in the golden jackal population in Serbia. The spleen samples from 68 hunted jackals during 2022/2023 were tested for the VP2-specific genome region of Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 by PCR. BLAST analysis of partial VP2 sequences obtained from three animals (4.4%) revealed the highest similarity to Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1, genogroup Feline panleukopenia virus, which is the second report on FPV infection in jackals. Based on specific amino acid residues within partial VP2, the jackals' Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 was also classified as FPV. One jackal's strain showed two synonymous mutations at positions 699 and 1167. Although species cross-transmission could not be established, jackals' health should be maintained by preventing the transmission of viruses to native species and vice versa. Although jackals are considered pests, their role as natural cleaners is of greater importance. Therefore, further monitoring of their health is needed to understand the influence of infectious diseases on population dynamics and to determine the relationship between domestic predators and jackals and the direction of cross-species transmission.

Assessing the Efficacy of AI Segmentation in Diagnostics of Nine Supernumerary Teeth in a Pediatric Patient.

We present a very rare case of a child with nine supernumerary teeth to analyze the potential, benefits, and limitations of artificial intelligence, as well as two commercial tools for tooth segmentation. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly finding applications in dentistry today, particularly in radiography. Special attention is given to models based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) and their application in automatic segmentation of the oral cavity and tooth structures. The integration of AI is gaining increasing attention, and the automation of the detection and localization of supernumerary teeth can accelerate the treatment planning process. Despite advancements in 3D segmentation techniques, relying on trained professionals remains crucial. Therefore, human expertise should remain key, and AI should be seen as a support rather than a replacement. Generally, a comprehensive tool that can satisfy all clinical needs in terms of supernumerary teeth and their segmentation is not yet available, so it is necessary to incorporate multiple tools into practice.

The new highest number of B chromosomes (Bs) in Leisler's bat Nyctalusleisleri (Kuhl, 1817).

B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary to the standard chromosome set, from which they prevalently derive. Variation in numbers both among individuals or populations and among cells within individuals is their constant feature. Leisler's bat Nyctalusleisleri (Kuhl, 1817) is one of only four species of Chiroptera with detected Bs. Four males of N.leisleri were collected from two localities on the territory of Serbia and cytogenetically analysed. All animals had Bs with interindividual variability ranging from two to five heterochromatic micro Bs. The highest number of Bs was detected in this species. Among mammals, Rodentia and Chiroptera are orders with the largest number of species, but Bs frequently appear in rodents and rarely in chiropterans. Possible explanations for this difference are offered.

Seasonal and diel movement patterns of brown bears in a population in southeastern Europe.

Most animals concentrate their movement into certain hours of the day depending on drivers such as photoperiod, ambient temperature, inter- or intraspecific competition, and predation risk. The main activity periods of many mammal species, especially in human-dominated landscapes, are commonly set at dusk, dawn, and during nighttime hours. Large carnivores, such as brown bears, often display great flexibility in diel movement patterns throughout their range, and even within populations, striking between individual differences in movement have been demonstrated. Here, we evaluated how seasonality and reproductive class affected diel movement patterns of brown bears of the Dinaric-Pindos and Carpathian bear populations in Serbia. We analyzed the movement distances and general probability of movement of 13 brown bears (8 males and 5 females) equipped with GPS collars and monitored over 1-3 years. Our analyses revealed that movement distances and probability of bear movement differed between seasons (mating versus hyperphagia) and reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and subadult males showed a crepuscular movement pattern. Compared with other reproductive classes, females with offspring were moving significantly less during crepuscular hours and during the night, particularly during the mating season, suggesting temporal niche partitioning among different reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and in particular subadult males traveled greater hourly distances during the mating season in May-June than the hyperphagia in July-October. Subadult males significantly decreased their movement from the mating season to hyperphagia, whereas females with offspring exhibited an opposite pattern with almost doubling their movement from the mating to hyperphagia season. Our results provide insights into how seasonality and reproductive class drive intrapopulation differences in movement distances and probability of movement in a recovering, to date little studied, brown bear population in southeastern Europe.

Depicting the RNA Virome of Hematophagous Arthropods from Belgrade, Serbia.

Hematophagous arthropods are important vectors for zoonotic pathogens. To date, a huge number of viruses have been identified in these arthropods, with a considerable proportion of them being human pathogens. However, the viromes of hematophagous arthropods are still largely unresearched. In this study, a number of arthropods were collected from Belgrade, Serbia including mosquitoes, ticks and bedbugs. The viromes of these arthropods were identified and characterized using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. In total, 21 viruses belonging to 11 families were characterized, with 11 of them representing novel species. These results may contribute to our knowledge of RNA viruses in arthropods and the discovery of novel human pathogens.

Population genetic structure of the Mediterranean horseshoe bat Rhinolophus euryale in the central Balkans.

Migratory behaviour, sociality and roost selection have a great impact on the population structure of one species. Many bat species live in groups, and movements between summer and hibernation sites are common in temperate bats. The Mediterranean horseshoe bat Rhinolophus euryale is a cave-dwelling species that exhibits roost philopatry and undertakes seasonal movements which are usually shorter than 50 km. Its distribution in Serbia is restricted to karstic areas in western and eastern parts of the country, with a lack of known roosts between them. In this study, microsatellite markers were used to evaluate genetic variation in this species in the Central Balkans. Specifically, spatial genetic structuring between geographic regions and relatedness within different colony types were assessed. All analysed loci were polymorphic, and there was no significant inbreeding coefficient recorded. A moderate degree of genetic differentiation among the sampled colonies was found, and significant isolation by distance was recorded. Our results revealed that populations show a tendency to segregate into three clusters. Unexpectedly, populations from Montenegro and Eastern Serbia tended to group into one cluster, while populations from Western Serbia and Slovenia represented second and third cluster, respectively. The majority of variance was partitioned within colonies, and only a small but significant portion among clusters. Average relatedness within colony members was close to zero, did not differ significantly between the different colony types, and kinship is unlikely to be a major grouping mechanism in this species.

Insight into diversity of bacteria belonging to the order Rickettsiales in 9 arthropods species collected in Serbia.

Rickettsiales bacteria in arthropods play a significant role in both public health and arthropod ecology. However, the extensive genetic diversity of Rickettsiales endosymbionts of arthropods is still to be discovered. In 2016, 515 arthropods belonging to 9 species of four classes (Insecta, Chilopoda, Diplopoda and Arachnida) were collected in Serbia. The presence and genetic diversity of Rickettsiales bacteria were evaluated by characterizing the 16S rRNA (rrs), citrate synthase (gltA) and heat shock protein (groEL) genes. The presence of various Rickettsiales bacteria was identified in the majority of tested arthropod species. The results revealed co-circulation of five recognized Rickettsiales species including Rickettsia, Ehrlichia and Wolbachia, as well as four tentative novel species, including one tentative novel genus named Neowolbachia. These results suggest the remarkable genetic diversity of Rickettsiales bacteria in certain arthropod species in this region. Furthermore, the high prevalence of spotted fever group Rickettsia in Ixodes ricinus ticks highlights the potential public health risk of human Rickettsia infection.

Diaphragmatic defect or pulmonary sequestration in a five-year-old boy.

This case report presents a 5-year-old boy with diaphragmatic defect with a tardy clinical manifestation. The findings of chest x-ray and chest CT scan were seen by pediatricians and radiologists as interstitial pneumonia and suspected pulmonary sequestration, pediatric surgeons saw it as a benign teratoma and during surgery a muscular defect of hemidiaphragm right was found. This case emphasize the rarity of diaphragmatic hernia in children of older age, the importance of "accented" clinical suspicion based on the maintenance of signs of mild respiratory failure, the need for additional radiological tests and surgery with the aim to diagnose this abnormality and "successfulness" of prenatal ultrasound examination.

Panophthalmitis after spontaneous perforation in glaucomatous eye.

Panophthalmitis is an acute, purulent inflammation of the eyeball that involves all its structures and extends into the orbit. A case of a fifty-seven year old male treated earlier due to glaucoma and trophic ulcus of the cornea, was presented in this paper. He was admitted to hospital with intensive orbital pain and redness of the right eye, elevated body temperature, bulbus protrusion with limited movement, chemosis, edematous cornea, hypopyon, iris of invisible drawing and relief. The ocular fundus was not visible. At the admittance, amaurosis of the right eye was present as well as spontaneous cornea perforation. The patient was treated with antibiotic, corticosteroid, analgesic and antiglaucomatous therapy. Intravitreal administration of antibiotics was impossible due to spontaneous cornea perforation. The patient was discharged from the hospital in a good general condition. The condition of the right eye was stable, there was no danger of eye loss, while infection of the same eye was cured.

[Positional installation of contrast cystography: a new approach in the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux].

INTRODUCTION: Positional installation of contrast cystography (PIC cystography) represents a new method to identify vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) that is unrevealed by standard diagnostic procedures. It is performed by radiological examination of the vesicoureteral junction during cystoscopic installation of the contrast medium at the ureteral orifice. OBJECTIVE: We studied the significance of PIC cystography to demonstrate VUR that failed to be revealed by standard voiding cystourethrography (MCUG), as well as the degree of the correlation of such a finding with endoscopic appearance and the position of the ureteral orifice (UO). METHOD: The aim of the paper was to analyze a sample of 5 children (4 girls and 1 boy), aged 6-15 years (mean 9.8 years) with recurrent febrile urotract infections, complicated with scarring changes of the renal parenchyma and normal findings on MCUG. The grade of VUR demonstrated by PIC cystography was classified using the standard hydrodistensional scale. RESULTS: All 5 patients had VUR, disclosed by PIC cystography, of whom in 4 it was unilateral and in one bilateral. Of 5 patients, 4 had VUR grade I and one grade II. All the children with VUR detected by PIC cystography also had evident cystoscopic abnormalities in the position and/or configuration of the ureteral orifice at the same side, while at the side with normal finding on PIC cystography, the endoscopic finding was also within normal limits. CONCLUSION: PIC cystography is the method of choice in the confirmation of VUR as the cause of recurrent urotract infection and its complications in children with a normal finding on standard MCUG. In all our patients with VUR verified by PIC cystography, at the same side we also revealed endoscopic changes in the position and/or configuration of UO.