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Mt. Stara Planina is located in the eastern part of the Republic of Serbia and represents the westernmost part of the large mountain massif of the Balkans. Both endogenous and exogenous forces created interesting geomorphological and hydrological features for geotourism development in this area. This article proposes a preliminary list of geomorphological and hydrological sites and analyses them to reveal which geosite possesses geotourism potential. This research was carried out by applying the modified geosite assessment model. In this article, ten geosites were singled out based on the degree of their attractiveness for geotourism development. The results reveal information about the key fields of improvement for each evaluated geosite, and identify which areas require more attention and better management in the upcoming period for Mt. Stara Planina to become a well-known geotourism destination that would attract a large number of tourists in the future. more...

Introduction/Objective. Research has demonstrated the toxicant potential of aluminum, but no therapeutic options have been suggested. The aim of the study was to investigate the extent of the aluminuminduced toxicity, evaluated by hematological/biochemical disarrangements, hepcidin concentration and tissue accumulation after chronic aluminum exposure and to determine possible protection with Ca2+-channel blockage, verapamil. Methods. Experimental animals (36 rats) were treated with different doses of AlCl3 during eight weeks and after that their blood and tissues were analyzed. Results. The significant differences, regardless of the aluminum dose administered, were documented in all evaluated hematological (p < 0.001) and biochemical parameters (p < 0.001), as well as in aluminum tissue deposition in liver, kidneys and testicles (p < 0.001), respectively. After verapamil administration, a significant improvement in some hematological and biochemical parameters was demonstrated, p < 0.001, as well as the attenuation of aluminum deposits in liver and testes, p < 0.001. Evaluated parameters of inflammation and kidney deposition did not show significant change after verapamil application. Conclusion. The findings indicate that chronic AlCl3 intoxication, regardless of the dose, results in the microcytic anemia associated with high hepcidin levels, numerous biochemical abnormalities and significant aluminum deposition in liver, kidney and testes and that these effects may be attenuated by verapamil administration. Overall, the results emphasize the significance of calcium homeostasis preservation in chronic aluminum exposure and propose possible therapeutic option. more...

In this paper, the author analyzes the protection of the right to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) at the time of the Covid-19 virus pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, European countries had a large number of infected people and some countries encountered a collapse of their health systems. As the situation was beyond control, it raises the question whether such a situation was caused by the non-implementation of epidemiological monitoring measures, which is comparable to the extent and manner of implementing these measures in the Far East; namely, the question is whether the democratic system remained unprotected due to the EU countries' observance of democratic human rights standards, specifically the right to privacy. Given that epidemiological monitoring measures are currently the most important instrument for combating the Covid-19 virus pandemic, European countries have to fulfill the condition of legality in implementing these measures, which interfere with the citizens' right to privacy. In that context, the author explores the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which ensures judicial protection of the rights guaranteed by the Convention (including the right to private life), focuses on the definition of the concept of the right to privacy, and examines whether epidemiological monitoring measures fall into the corpus of privacy rights. Relying on a detailed analysis of the ECtHR case law, the author points to the specific requirements that must be met in order for the epidemiological monitoring measures to be considered legal. more...

Adventure tourism is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism in the global tourism market. It combines travel, sports and recreation in an open space, and the basic motives are challenge, risk and uncertainty. The mountains are particularly attractive destinations for adventure tourism. According to the geomorphological characteristics of the terrain, Suva Planina offers special benefits for the development of this type of tourism. The aim of the paper is to show that the geographical conditions and resources of Suva Planina are good for adventure tourism development. Based on the applied method of assessing mountaineering trails, it was found that Suva Planina has trails suitable for hiking, mountaineering, alpinism, horse riding and mountain biking. In addition to the above, it is possible to engage in a series of activities which are challenging and interesting for tourists: paragliding, skiing, rafting, kayaking, free climbing, etc. The main problems are inadequate tourism infrastructure and negative demographic trends such as poor population density in the region's most attractive areas, low level of education among residents, predominance of old houses, and lack of workforce. As a result, the implementation of adventure tourism is significantly more difficult. more...

Cultural tourism integrates the culture and tourism sector, whereby mutual benefits can be achieved. In order to reflect favorable conditions in both sectors, it is necessary to approach the planning and transformation of cultural and historical heritage into a cultural-tourist product. The initial phase in planning is the valorization of cultural tourist values. Hilary Du Cros Model was created especially for the valorization of cultural tourist values. The model is complex because it evaluates the cultural-tourist sub-indicators and the degree of their gradation, separately for the tourism sector and the sector of heritage asset management. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the tourism sector and the sector of the management of representative cultural assets of the city core of Niš according to the Model Hilary Du Cros. After the analysis of sub-indicators, the city core of Niš was awarded a cell M (2,3), which points to favorable conditions for the development of cultural tourism, but it is necessary to approach more responsible planning of cultural tourist values. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 176008] more...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common type of diabetes and is becoming an increasingly prevalent global health issue. Polymorphisms in genes coding metallothioneins, a group of small zinc-binding proteins that participate in antioxidative protection, are believed to be involved in T2DM pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the potential association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11640851 MT1A 80 C/A and the T2DM risk and to determine the impact of the genotype and allelic distribution on the diabetes-related biochemical parameters. The study included 298 subjects, 112 with T2DM and 186 healthy, non-diabetic controls. The participants' fasting glycemia and HbA1c levels were measured, while the SNP in the MT1A gene was determined using the PCR-RFLP method. There were no significant differences in the genetic distribution and allele frequency between control subjects and diabetic patients (p > 0.05). There was likewise no association between the SNP and diabetes-associated laboratory parameters, fasting serum glucose and HbA1c levels. However, 79.6% of allele C carriers had fasting glucose levels above 7 mmol/L, versus 53.3% of subjects homozygous for allele A (p = 0.005). Although our study did not find a direct association between the MT1A genetic variants and the occurrence of T2DM, we observed an effect of the allele C on glycemic control in the patients. Further research in a larger population is needed to expand these findings and to improve the understanding of metallothionein genes and their impact on the development of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Acta Medica Medianae is the property of Acta Medica Medianae and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) more...

The multidrug resistant bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii cause serious hospital infections. Commercial poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) used for endotracheal tubes was modified in order to obtain the composite with antibacterial effect towards clinical isolate of A. baumannii ST145. The composites were prepared by addition of different amounts of copper-containing zeolite tuff (CuZ) and by successive impregnation with D-Tyrosine (D-Tyr) solution. The composites which were obtained by addition of CuZ (CuZ-PVC) only did not exhibit antibacterial effect. The impregnation of the CuZ-PVC by D-Tyr resulted in an antibacterial effect which is explained by a synergistic effect of CuZ and D-Tyr. Rheological tests confirmed that the modification of PVC by CuZ does not affect its processability and reformability. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172018] more...

The natural zeolitic tuff from the Zlatokop mine (Vranjska Banja deposit) has been investigated as a starting material for obtaining a low cost adsorbent for the removal of nitrate from water media. The tuff riched with zeolite - clinoptilolite was modified by simple procedures by several oxides: iron(III), manganese(IV) and magnesium in order to make clinoptilolite surface accessible for binding the nitrate ions. The obtained oxide-modified zeolite samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and by measurement of specific surface area. The effects of the adsorbent dosage (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 g), temperature (25, 35 and 45 °C) and initial nitrate concentration (C0= 100, 200 and 300 mg dm-3) on the binding efficiency were also studied. For all adsorbents the efficiency increases with temperature. The type of oxides effects the adsorption mechanism and Fe(III) oxide modified zeolite exhibits the best binding ability. For this adsorbent the adsorption kinetics was studied and found that it is best represented by the pseudo-second-order model. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172018] more...

Copyright of Acta Medica Medianae is the property of Acta Medica Medianae and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) more...

The plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is the main inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase type plasminogen activator in the blood. Besides the key regulatory role in fibrinolysis, plasmin and its activators and inhibitors are responsible for the processes of extracellular matrix turnover and remodeling, cellular adhesion and migration, thus they participate in many pathophysiological processes such as thrombosis, fibrosis, atherosclerosis, cancer spread, and other. The measurement of PAI-1 expression and its levels is suggested for a risk factor assessment in certain diseases. Also, PAI-1 is being considered a potential therapeutic target that could modify disease development and progression. The aim of this work is to outline significant findings regarding PAI-1 application in diagnostics, risk factor assessment, and pathogenetic treatment of different diseases [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The precondition for achieving top athletic results is full health and psychophysical readiness. Essential oligoelements are necessary for normal biochemical and physiological processes, utilization of energy and building of tissues, as well as for optimal functioning of the muscles and their harmonious relationship with other systems. Trace elements play an important role in energy metabolism during strenuous physical activity, and in the conditions of increased oxygen demand, free radical production, activity of scavenger enzymes, and antioxidant protection. Athletes may have iron deficiency due to decreased dietary intake, blood loss or increased needs due to physical activity, however, supplementation is not justified in terms of improving sports performance, and may even be harmful. Copper has particular importance in biological processes of energy metabolism, iron homeostasis and antioxidant protection. Additional amounts of copper of 0.5-3.0 mg per day are recommended to athletes, although high doses do not have ergogenic properties. Moreover, athletes have a greater need for zinc. Additional amounts of zinc supplements are recommended, 15-50 mg per day. The deficiency of manganese occurs most frequently in malnourished people, while the need for selenium in well-trained athletes increase depending on the energy consumption. Sport activity, especially when it comes to long-term extreme efforts, increases the need for micronutrient substances. Athletes need to ensure a balanced diet and oligoelement supplementation to meet their needs, increased in relation to the recommended daily intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...