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Abstract The differentiation of mouse neurons is a complex process involving cell maturation and branching, occurring during both, embryonic development and differentiation in vitro. To study mouse neuronal morphology, we used the Thy1 YFP-16 mouse strain. Although this mouse strain was described over twenty years ago, detailed studies on projections outgrowth and morphology of neurons are still lacking. The main goal of our study was to analyse the differentiation patterns of neural stem cells, including markers of differentiation, colocalization patterns, synaptic markers and the tracing of cell projections during differentiation in vitro. The neural stem cells were isolated from embryos at embryonic day 14.5 as well as newborn pups and differentiated into neurons and astrocytes. Our data showed a significant decrease of neural stem cells markers and a substantial increase in neuronal markers during differentiation, analysed by immunocytochemistry, quantitative PCR and western blot. To assess synaptic maturation, neurons were further analysed by quantitative PCR and immunocytochemistry. Expression of synaptic markers were increased during differentiation in vitro. At the 7th day in vitro differentiation, expression of synaptic markers in both YFP positive and YFP negative neurons were at comparable levels. Finally, our data revealed a significant increase in all measured morphological parameters: Filament Area, Filament Length, Filament No. Terminal Points and Sholl Intersections in YFP positive/MAP2 positive neurons compared to YFP negative/MAP2 positive neurons. These findings suggest that YFP is an effective tool for cell tracing both in vivo and in vitro, making it valuable for morphological studies during development as well as in the context of neurodegenerative disorders.

Objetivo: El mayor número de participantes en deportes o alguna forma de recreación en todo el mundo ha llevado a un aumento en la incidencia de lesiones del ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) y de las cirugías realizadas. Aunque no es una intervención quirúrgica de riesgo, esta operación va acompañada de complicaciones que ralentizan la rehabilitación posoperatoria. El objetivo es analizar los efectos de la inyección intraarticular de ácido tranexámico (TXA) sobre la reducción del volumen sanguíneo drenado posoperatorio, la intensidad del dolor y la incidencia de hemartrosis tras la reconstrucción del LCA. Método: Esta investigación prospectiva incluyó 124 pacientes sometidos a cirugía de reconstrucción del LCA, divididos aleatoriamente en dos grupos: uno recibió TXA intraarticular y otro (grupo de control) una cantidad igual de placebo por la misma vía. Resultados: La investigación ha demostrado que la inyección intraarticular de TXA reduce efectivamente la pérdida de sangre posoperatoria (grupo TXA 71.29 ± 40.76 vs. grupo control 154.35 ± 81.45), reduciendo la intensidad del dolor posoperatorio (p < 0.001) y la incidencia de hemartrosis. Conclusiones: La aplicación de TXA redujo significativamente el sangrado posoperatorio y la intensidad del dolor, lo que aceleró el posoperatorio.

Population systems in which all three taxa of the Pelophylax esculentus complex coexist are rare and in Serbia can only be found along the Danube. Although several studies describe the diet in populations with only one taxon, there is a lack of data from mixed populations. We studied the diet in mixed populations of edible frogs at three sites for three years. We collected gut contents from 221 adult frogs using the stomach flushing method and identified 1,477 prey items. The diet consisted mainly of insects (88%). For all three taxa, the most frequently consumed prey groups were Hymenoptera (28%), Coleoptera (18%), Lepidoptera (17%) and Diptera (11%). Larger prey (in terms of length and volume) was mainly consumed by P. ridibundus, followed by P. esculentus. The smallest prey were mainly consumed by P. lessonae. However, P. ridibundus consumed fewer prey items than P. lessonae. No significant difference was found between the taxa in the staple diet, while there were differences in the less abundant prey categories, especially between P. ridibundus and P. lessonae. The narrowest trophic niche width was observed in P. lessonae, followed by P. esculentus, and the widest in P. ridibundus. Our results suggest that the diet of the three taxa is diverse and consists of a large number of invertebrate groups. However, the diet was locality-specific, with the dominance of different prey groups in different localities depending on habitat characteristics. These results confirm our expectation that the frogs of the Pelophylax esculentus complex follow an opportunistic foraging strategy, as predicted by optimal foraging theory.

Oilseed rape is an important crop grown worldwide and used for various purposes, including oil extraction and animal feed. In Europe, there are six major pest species and several other minor pests that can significantly affect oilseed rape production, requiring growers to effectively control them in order to ensure crop yield. The host-parasitoid complexes of these pests have been studied in detail and recorded mainly in western, central and northern Europe. As an abundant source of pollen and nectar, oilseed rape may also be attractive to other parasitoids that do not have direct trophic interactions with oilseed rape pest species. The aim of this study is to fill the knowledge gap regarding the wider parasitoid community in oilseed rape fields, particularly in southern Europe.During the two-year study, a total of 3135 specimens of primary and secondary parasitoids were sampled, of which 2855 were found in oilseed rape fields and 280 in semi-natural habitats. We found 153 taxa, of which 119 were found in oilseed rape fields and 87 in semi-natural habitats. We identified 31 genera (33 species) as parasitoids of oilseed rape pests, 54 genera (97 species) parasitising non-pest species and 10 genera (23 species) as possible parasitoids of oilseed rape pests. This study shows that the parasitoid community in oilseed rape fields is very diverse and that includes parasitoids of both oilseed rape pest and non-pest species.

The aim of this study was to explore retinal vasculature asymmetry (ReVA) patterns in subjects from the islands of Vis and Korcula and the city of Split, Croatia. Asymmetry estimates were based on topographic image analysis of non-mydriatic retinal fundus photographs and compared with nine ophthalmic measurements, three Doppler-based pressure indices and eight frequencies of audiometry. ReVA was also correlated to the genomic runs of homozygosity (ROHs) and used in a Cox regression survival model, where we adjusted for the effects of sex, age and comorbidity. In 1873 subjects, ReVA estimates were significantly correlated with most ophthalmic asymmetry measures, less strongly with the ankle–brachial pressure index and only modestly with higher-amplitude audiometry asymmetries (lowest p = 0.020). ReVA was significantly correlated with the number of ROHs (r = 0.229, p < 0.001) but less strongly with the ROH length (r = 0.101, p < 0.001). The overlap of asymmetries was low, with only 107 subjects (5.7% of the total sample) who had two or more instances in which they were among the top 10%. Multiple asymmetries did not affect survival (HR = 0.74, 95% confidence intervals 0.45–1.22). Retinal vasculature asymmetry is a poor predictor of asymmetry elsewhere in the body. Despite its existence and apparent association with comorbidities, the observed extent of retinal vasculature asymmetry did not affect the lifespan in this population.

The idea that learning liberates or that education emancipates is hardly a novelty, and it can be traced to ancient times and Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. Thus, in this paper, we aim to express that some of the ideas (like the idea that women and men are equally subject to moral virtue because of their rationality) and educational practices (such as those that encourage students to use their voices and reason independently from any authorities) embraced by well-known Roman Stoics did have emancipatory potential. Particularly important was a requirement that philosophy should be lived outside the classrooms.

This paper will primarily focus on the philosophical depictions of Medea’s character and actions. The following identities will be examined: gender (which roles defined a woman in antiquity and are these definitions still relevant today), political (what does it mean to be a foreigner and not belong to a particular political community), and psychological (do passions inevitably lead to a split in the psyche or, on the contrary, constitute it). These will serve as frames that outline Medea’s exceptional (in)humanness in the Greco-Roman society.

Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 require intensive care unit (ICU) admission with consecutive endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation. In patients with long-term mechanical ventilation, percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) may be considered. This retrospective analysis includes clinical data on patients treated at the ICUs of the COVID Hospital of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina in the period from September 3, 2021 to May 1, 2022, and underwent PDT. Patients were predominantly male (n=48; 65.8%). Weaning from mechanical ventilation was achieved in 31 (42.5%) and decannulation in 25 (34.2%) patients. The mean time from polymerase chain reaction SARS CoV-2 positivity until PDT was 15.59±6.85 days. The mean time of endotracheal intubation before the PDT procedure was 7.37±4.89 days. The mean weaning time from mechanical ventilation was 10.45±7.92 days. Twenty-five (34.2%) patients were decannulated at the mean time of 19.60±11.81 days. The complications were tracheostomy related bleeding (2 patients), pneumothorax (4 patients), subcutaneous emphysema (1 patient) and cricoid cartilage injury (1 patient). PDT is a simple, safe, and effective procedure performed in COVID-19 patients in the ICU.

BackgroundHigh-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy emerged as the therapy of choice in COVID-19-related pneumonia and moderate to severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF). HFNC oxygen therapy in COVID-19 has been recommended based its use to treat AHRF of other etiologies, and studies on assessing outcomes in COVID-19 patients are highly needed. This study aimed to examine outcomes in COVID-19 patients with pneumonia and severe AHRF treated with HFNC.Materials and methodsThe study included 235 COVID-19 patients with pneumonia treated with HFNC. Data extracted from medical records included demographic characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, clinical and oxygenation status, clinical complications, as well as the length of hospital stay. Patients were segregated into two groups based on their oxygen therapy needs: HDU group, those who exclusively required HFNC and ICU group, those whose oxygen therapy needed to be escalated at some point of hospital stay. The primary outcome was the need for respiratory support escalation (noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation) and the secondary outcome was the in-hospital all-cause mortality.ResultsThe primary outcome was met in 113 (48%) of patients. The overall mortality was 70%, significantly higher in the ICU group [102 (90.2%) vs. 62 (50.1%), p

Human land use threatens global biodiversity and compromises multiple ecosystem functions critical to food production. Whether crop yield-related ecosystem services can be maintained by a few dominant species or rely on high richness remains unclear. Using a global database from 89 studies (with 1475 locations), we partition the relative importance of species richness, abundance, and dominance for pollination; biological pest control; and final yields in the context of ongoing land-use change. Pollinator and enemy richness directly supported ecosystem services in addition to and independent of abundance and dominance. Up to 50% of the negative effects of landscape simplification on ecosystem services was due to richness losses of service-providing organisms, with negative consequences for crop yields. Maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is therefore vital to sustain the flow of key agroecosystem benefits to society.

There is a growing interest to document and better understand patterns and processes involved in non-native bee introductions and subsequent colonisation of new areas worldwide. We studied the spread of the East Asian bee Megachile sculpturalis in Serbia and south-eastern Europe; the bee was earlier established in the USA (since 1994) and western Europe (since 2008). Its establishment in Serbia remained dubious throughout most of 2017–2019, following its first detection. We hereby report on its establishment and spreading, which were corroborated in 2019 under specific circumstances. Owing to an exceptionally poor blooming of Styphnolobium japonicum in 2019, we recorded a high activity density of M. sculpturalis concentrated on a scarce key food resource. We present a novel quantitative approach for an improved early detection of M. sculpturalis, based on the interplay between the bee local occurrence pattern and dynamics of key food-plant(s) availability. This approach seems particularly effective during the early-phase colonisation, at initially low population density of introduced bees. We address the importance of integration of the genuine plant usage patterns with context-specific bee assessment options in establishing effective monitoring. The improved understanding of M. sculpturalis local dynamics triggered the questions about possible origin(s) and modes of its dispersal east of the Alps. To explore the possible scenarios of M. sculpturalis introduction(s), we extended the study to a wider spatio-temporal context – the region of SE Europe (2015–2019). The two complementary study approaches (at local and regional scale) provided more comprehensive evidence of bee dispersal history and the detection patterns in varied recording contexts. Based on this two-scale approach, we suggest that a diffusive mode of M. sculpturalis introduction into Serbia now seems to be a more plausible scenario (than a long-distance jump). We argue that the integration of outcomes from the contrasting approaches (a systematic surveillance, based on plant resources and a broad-scale opportunistic recording) could be of great methodological relevance for the development of future monitoring protocols.

Making fashion sustainable is a demand imposed upon producers, designers, and the entire fashion industry by Generation Z, which was raised free from all taboo topics, strongly supporting differences, and seriously stepping toward changes tailored to their own measures, thus pressuring the shaping of the fashion industry according to the principles of sustainable development. The awareness of Earth’s limited resources is heightened with this generation and there are strong predispositions that it will be the one, as opposed to Generation Y, to bring fashion to a much more sustainable level, for which, as this paper shows, they will not lack courage nor willingness.

Background/Aim. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and serious complication after aortic surgery, which increases the length of hospital stay, costs, morbidity, and mortality. The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of AKI and the most important preoperative and intraoperative predictive factors for AKI 72 hrs after elective infrarenal aortic surgery (IAS). Methods. This prospective observational study was performed at the Clinic of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina (UCCV), from October 2017 to April 2019. It included 140 adult patients who underwent an elective IAS. The occurrence of AKI was noted according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria. A multivariate logistic regression model was used for potential predictive factors. Results. The incidence of AKI after the elective IAS at the Clinic of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, UCCV, was 28.56%. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the cut-off value of cystatin C serum concentration of 1.14 mg/L had the highest sensitivity (82.5%) and specificity (76%) in the differentiation of patients who will develop AKI. The final model contained the following variables: the presence of chronic kidney disease, the preoperative serum concentration of cystatin C > 1.14 mg/L, the application of colloid solutions in volume > 500 mL during the operation, and the total intra-vascular fluid replacement volume > 59 mL/kg in the intraoperative period. Conclusion. The incidence of AKI at the Clinic of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, UCCV, is somewhat higher compared to the literature data. A presurgical value of cystatin C above 1.14 mg/L is a good predictor of AKI after the elective IAS.

Abstract 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.

After the corona virus pandemic is over, we can expect significant changes in management systems due to a further decrease in industrial commodity trade and, simultaneously, an increase in service trade, digital technology services in particular. The consequences of this crisis will be evident in all segments of economy and will relate to globalisation process, production and international trade. Global COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severe supply and demand crisis of both products and services, on local and international markets. In economies, which base their production on low costs and low inventory and on last minute supply of raw materials and spare parts, supply chains have been disrupted and all this has resulted in major disorders on the market. The problem is effusing from one market to another. Reduced production has led to a sharp decrease in consumption, which is a result of decreased profits. In 2020 world trade has fallen by 9 %, foreign investments by 40% and service trade by 60%. For these reasons, it is important to look closely into what has been going on, what is going to be happening, and how it is going to affect business organizations, their stability, safety and business performance in the long run. In order to analyse the environment, facts and factors which affect, both directly and indirectly, our business activities in this globalized society and economy, it is crucial to apply well-structured analytical concepts and to conduct them systematically, especially in these difficult periods of crisis. The application of analytical concepts (analyses) enables business organizations to prepare appropriately for the challenges they are going to face. The use of modern analyses like PEST, BCG matrix, VRIO and SWOT provide essential information about the real level of potentials and resources that an organization has at their disposal. Considering the dynamics of technological and techical changes, and trends of consumers’ habit and need changes, analyses are becoming increasingly important in terms of monitoring our internal environment, analysing product and service portfolios and analysing value chains. This paper explores the application and results of the use of modern analyses in the business organizations in Croatia, with a focus on use in times of sharp socio-economic changes, which were caused by the recent crisis.

Understanding the movement pattern and ranging behavior of the Griffon vulture population in Serbia is of great importance for prioritizing conservation action. In 2011, an immature vulture was the first bird to be equipped with a satellite transmitter in Serbia. Our study aims to define the vulture’s foraging areas, home ranges, core and basic areas, and to investigate movement patterns across different years and seasons by analyzing satellite telemetry data. We tracked the movements of the vulture for over three years and obtained satellite tracking data for 34 bird-months (1976 GPS fixes) between October 2011 and July 2014. We determined that the overall foraging area of the vulture across the entire study period was 11654.34 km2. The overall area used by the vulture was larger during spring and summer than during winter periods. Combined ranges across all years identified one basic area and its associated core area around the Uvac colony and nearby feeding site; we identified three core areas in its proximity. This study showed that areas of traditional stock-raising practices are important vulture foraging areas and that supplementary feeding sites have a vital role. Our maps can be used for future planning of vulture conservation measures.

Cardiorespiratory performance is one of the most important determinants of success in sports activities. In order to better prepare for sports challenges, the athletes must be exposed to appropriate training which should be based on individualized physiological parameters during activity. Even though training intensity can be determined in many different ways, the endurance training intensity is often quantified by the lactate thresholds obtained from the blood sampling or the ventilator thresholds obtained from the gas exchange. These data represent delayed indirect indicators of an increased anaerobic ATP resynthesis. The muscle oximetry, based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), represents non-invasive method that enables the information about the changes in oxygenation in hemoglobin, and potentially represents a very suitable technique to detect a critical exercise threshold directly in the exercising muscle.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disease associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and shortened lifespan. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of using N-glycome as a biomarker for the severe form of OSA. Seventy subjects who underwent a whole-night polysomnography/polygraphy and had apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) over 30 were compared to 23 controls (AHI under 5). Plasma samples were used to extract 39 glycan peaks using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and 27 IgG peaks using capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE). We also measured glycan age, a molecular proxy for biological aging. Three plasma and one IgG peaks were significant in a multivariate model controlling for the effects of age, sex, and body mass index. These included decreased GP24 (disialylated triantennary glycans as major structure) and GP28 (trigalactosylated, triantennary, disialylated, and trisialylated glycans), and increased GP32 (trisialylated triantennary glycan). Only one IgG glycan peak was significantly increased (P26), which contains biantennary digalactosylated glycans with core fucose. Patients with severe OSA exhibited accelerated biological aging, with a median of 6.9 years more than their chronological age (p < 0.001). Plasma N-glycome can be used as a biomarker for severe OSA.

Bacground/Aim. Preterm birth is defined as a delivery prior to the completed 37th week of gestation. Literature data suggested that periodontal processes may influence to the feto-placental unit and induce preterm delivery. The degree of the periodontal disease is influenced by secretor status. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in periodontitis as well as in delivery. The combined influence of these factors on the risk of preterm birth has not been explored. The aim of our study was to investigate the associations between periodontal diseases, secretor status, and interleukin- 1-β (IL1-ß) and prostaglandine E2 (PGE2) levels in women delivered preterm. Methods. The study included 56 preterm delivery women and 56 women delivered at term as a control group, aged between 17 and 41 years. Periodontal examination, blood and saliva sampling were performed within 48 hours following delivery. Secretor phenotype was determined by hemagglutination inhibition method. The concentrations of IL1-ß and PGE2 were measured by high sensitivity Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results. In the pre-term birth group there were 66.1% of women with periodontitis, while in the control one there were 12.5% (p < 0.01). Concentrations of IL1-ß and PGE2 in plasma were significantly higher in the non-secretor group of women who gave birth pre-term and had periodontitis comparing to other groups. There was a significant correlation between salivary and plasma levels of PGE2 and IL1-ß in the preterm birth group (R = 0.416, p = 0.017 and R = -0.592, p < 0.001, respectively). There were no such correlations in women who delivered at term. Conclusion. Our results support the hypothesis that non-secretor phenotype and periodontitis are at least in part responsible for pathogenesis of preterm birth. This probability of negative impact of non-secretor status cannot be ignored. These findings support the need for additional research into the biology of human parturition.

A large number of human movement studies have focused on functioning of complex biological systems. These systems can be observed as one muscle-tendon unit or one muscle fiber, one limb or joint, or a whole locomotor system presented as a kinetics chain. A muscletendon unit may generate forces in two distinctly different ways: as an elastic-like spring in stretch-shortening motion and as converters of metabolic energy into mechanical work. Furthermore, during movement a muscle-tendon unit can be stiff or compliant. Understanding these conditions during movement would provide important information that could be used for sports performance improvement and injury prevention planning.

Background/Aim. Doppler sonography of fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV) can be used to predict fetal anemia and the need for in utero intravascular transfusion (IUIT) in red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunisation pregnancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether measurement of MCA-PSV in fetuses that had undergone one to three transfusions is a good diagnostic tool for fetal anemia. Methods. Study included 36 pregnancies treated due to RBC alloimmunisation in our tertiary referral center during the 5-year period (2012–2017). We measured MCA-PSV and hematocrit (Hct) in all patients. In seven pregnancies there was a need to perform sequential IUITs for correction of fetal anemia. In these patients we compared MCA-PSV and Hct values before and after every transfusion. Results. Hct and MCA-PSV correlated negatively before transfusion therapy (p = 0.035) and after the second transfusion (p = 0.046). Contrary, after the first (p = 0.954), before the second (p = 0.738), as well as before (p = 0.092) and after (p = 0,741) the third transfusions there were no significant correlations between Hct and MCAPSV values. Hct values before and after transfusions were positively associated (p = 0.001), but MCA-PSV were not (p = 0.296). According to performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis the cut-off point of MCA-PSV for investigated patients was 1.22 multiples of its median (MoM). Conclusion. There is a reduction in MCA-PSV accuracy for assessing fetal anemia in previously transfused fetuses. Larger studies are needed to explain the reasons for these findings and potentially set new referral values of MCA-PSV for better diagnostics of fetal anemia.

Background/Aim: Congenital malformations still represent one of the most important causes of prenatal and infant death. The study goal was to analyze occurrence and outcomes of different types of congenital anomalies from the tertiary referral center during a ten-year period. Moreover, study aimed at examining potential predictors of congenital anomalies based on patients’ characteristics and medical history data. Methods: Study included all pregnant women directed to Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Center of Serbia due to prenatally diagnosed congenital fetal anomalies during past ten years. Upon admission to our clinic a detailed general medical and obstetrical history were taken from every patient. All women underwent genetic testing. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance were diagnostic methods for fetal malformations confirmation. Results: Study included 773 pregnant women aged from 18 to 46 years. Out of registered nine different groups of fetal anomalies/malformations, the most common were malformations of the central nervous system, while majority of fetuses had combined multiple anomalies. Genetic cause for congenital anomalies was present in 25.2% of pregnancies. Medical pregnancy abortion was performed in 71.8% of cases. Only 10.2% of pregnancies ended in term. The best outcome for children was obtained in case of gastrointestinal anomalies (52% live-born). Contrary only one child with neck and thorax malformations could be saved. According to logistic regression the most important predictor of having a child with combined multiple anomalies was mother’s age, while predictor of central nervous system anomalies was gestational diabetes. The significant predictor of genetic anomalies was mother’s age. Conclusion: In our sample neurological congenital anomalies were the most common, although abnormalities of all organ systems were registered. Majority of pregnancies had to be discontinued due to combined multiple anomalies caused by genetic disorders. Older mother’s age and diabetes can imply on the increased risk for fetal malformations.

The aim of this study was to explore retinal vasculature asymmetry (ReVA) patterns in subjects from the islands of Vis and Korcula and the city of Split, Croatia. Asymmetry estimates were based on topographic image analysis of non-mydriatic retinal fundus photographs and compared with nine ophthalmic measurements, three Doppler-based pressure indices and eight frequencies of audiometry. ReVA was also correlated to the genomic runs of homozygosity (ROHs) and used in a Cox regression survival model, where we adjusted for the effects of sex, age and comorbidity. In 1873 subjects, ReVA estimates were significantly correlated with most ophthalmic asymmetry measures, less strongly with the ankle–brachial pressure index and only modestly with higher-amplitude audiometry asymmetries (lowest p = 0.020). ReVA was significantly correlated with the number of ROHs (r = 0.229, p < 0.001) but less strongly with the ROH length (r = 0.101, p < 0.001). The overlap of asymmetries was low, with only 107 subjects (5.7% of the total sample) who had two or more instances in which they were among the top 10%. Multiple asymmetries did not affect survival (HR = 0.74, 95% confidence intervals 0.45–1.22). Retinal vasculature asymmetry is a poor predictor of asymmetry elsewhere in the body. Despite its existence and apparent association with comorbidities, the observed extent of retinal vasculature asymmetry did not affect the lifespan in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Population systems in which all three taxa of the Pelophylax esculentus complex coexist are rare and in Serbia can only be found along the Danube. Although several studies describe the diet in populations with only one taxon, there is a lack of data from mixed populations. We studied the diet in mixed populations of edible frogs at three sites for three years. We collected gut contents from 221 adult frogs using the stomach flushing method and identified 1,477 prey items. The diet consisted mainly of insects (88%). For all three taxa, the most frequently consumed prey groups were Hymenoptera (28%), Coleoptera (18%), Lepidoptera (17%) and Diptera (11%). Larger prey (in terms of length and volume) was mainly consumed by P. ridibundus, followed by P. esculentus. The smallest prey were mainly consumed by P. lessonae. However, P. ridibundus consumed fewer prey items than P. lessonae. No significant difference was found between the taxa in the staple diet, while there were differences in the less abundant prey categories, especially between P. ridibundus and P. lessonae. The narrowest trophic niche width was observed in P. lessonae, followed by P. esculentus, and the widest in P. ridibundus. Our results suggest that the diet of the three taxa is diverse and consists of a large number of invertebrate groups. However, the diet was locality-specific, with the dominance of different prey groups in different localities depending on habitat characteristics. These results confirm our expectation that the frogs of the Pelophylax esculentus complex follow an opportunistic foraging strategy, as predicted by optimal foraging theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. CDI patients treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Serbia during 2017–2019 (n = 304) were compared with COVID-19/CDI patients treated in period September 2021–September 2022 (n = 387). Groups were compared by age, gender, comorbidities, previous medications, laboratory findings, and outcome within 30 days. In the CDI/COVID-19 group, we found: greater percentage of males 59.8% vs. 42.6% (p ≤ 0.001), older age 72.8 ± 9.4 vs. 65.6 ± 11.7 (p ≤ 0.001), higher Charlson comorbidity score (CCS) (3.06 ± 1.54 vs. 2.33 ± 1.34 (p ≤ 0.001), greater percentage of chronic renal failure (33.9% vs. 23.4% (p = 0.003), malignances (24.3% vs. 13.5% (p ≤ 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22.7% vs. 15.5% (p = 0.017), higher usage of macrolide (38.5% vs. 8.6% (p ≤ 0.001), greater percentage of patients with hypoalbuminemia ≤25 g/L (19.6% vs. 12.2% (p ≤ 0.001), lower percentage of patients with elevated creatinine (≥200 mmol/L) (31.5% vs. 43.8%) (p = 0.002), and greater percentage of lethal outcome 29.5% vs. 6.6% (p ≤ 0.001). In the prediction of lethal outcome multivariate regression analysis extracted as an independent predictor, only higher CRP values in the non-COVID-19 group and in the COVID-19 group: older age (p ≤ 0.001), CCS (p = 0.019) and CRP (p = 0.015). COVID-19 changes the disease course of CDI and should be taken into consideration when managing those patients.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinical form, risk factors, and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and Clostridioides difficile co-infections. Methods: This retrospective study (2 September 2021–1 April 2022) included all patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and COVID-19 infection who were admitted to the Covid Hospital of the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina. Results: A total of 5124 COVID-19 patients were admitted to the Covid Hospital, and 326 of them (6.36%) developed hospital-onset CDI. Of those, 326 of the CDI patients (88.65%) were older than 65 years. The median time of CDI onset was 12.88 days. Previous hospitalizations showed 69.93% of CDI patients compared to 38.81% in the non-CDI group (p = 0.029). The concomitant antibiotics exposure was higher among the CDI group versus the non-CDI group (88.65% vs. 68.42%, p = 0.037). Albumin levels were ≤ 25 g/L among 39.57% of the CDI patients and 21.71% in the non-CDI patients (p = 0.021). The clinical manifestations of CDI ranged from mild diarrhea (26.9%) to severe diarrhea (63.49%) and a complicated form of colitis (9.81%). Regarding outcomes, 79.14% of the CDI patients recovered and 20.86% had fatal outcomes in-hospital. Although a minority of the patients were in the non-CDI group, the difference in mortality rate between the CDI and non-CDI group was not statistically significant (20.86% vs. 15.13%, p = 0.097). Conclusions: Elderly patients on concomitant antibiotic treatments with hypoalbuminemia and with previous healthcare exposures were the most affected by COVID-19 and CD co-infections.