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Background: While serological assays for blood and plasma screening must have a high sensitivity, specificity of the assays is equally important. When blood and plasma centers consider switching to a new method, they are well aware that this may result in a temporary or permanent deferral of donors if the new method is less specific than the previous method that was used for donor testing. This is a major concern especially for those centers that have a very high proportion of multiple time whole blood or plasma donors. Aims: To evaluate the initial (IRR) and repeat reactive rate (RRR), and specificity of the prototype assays developed for the new Abbott Alinity s System at two sites in Europe using routine surplus samples from whole blood donors (serum or plasma). Initially reactive samples are defined as those that did not test reactive upon repeat testing, whereas the rate of repeatedly reactive samples is the percentage of samples that are repeatedly reactive but not found positive by confirmatory testing. Methods: Serum and plasma samples from routine whole blood donors were tested by commercially available methods and the following prototype Alinity s assays: HIV Ag/Ab Combo (n=1856), HBsAg (n=1925), Anti-HCV (n=1924), Anti-HBc (n=1857), Syphilis (n=2708) and HTLV I/II (n=2543). Initial reactive results and any samples with a discrepant result to the routine method were retested in duplicate and subject to confirmatory testing. Results: For the Alinity s HBsAg, Anti-HCV and Syphilis assays, all samples tested initially non-reactive, and the specificity of these assays was determined to be 100 %. The Alinity s HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay had one initially reactive sample that turned negative upon retesting in duplicate, for a specificity of 100 %. Nine samples were found repeatedly reactive upon testing with Alinity s Anti-HBc, all of which were confirmed positive upon subsequent testing. For Alinity s HTLV I/II, two samples were initially and repeatedly reactive but negative by confirmatory testing, therefore reducing the specificity of this test to 99, 92 %. Summary / Conclusions: The prototype screening assays developed for use with the new Alinity s System showed very good specificity when using samples from populations with a high percentage of multiple time donors. These data indicate that the introduction of the newly developed Alinity s screening assays will not cause unnecessary donor deferral, not even temporarily.

The quality of surface waters is a very important problem incorporated in the environment protection. Water reservoir "Grliste" was formed with the aim of water supplies of Zajecar and surrounding villages in Eastern Serbia. In this paper, the measured values of nutrient concentrations, were analysed in the water reservoir and its tributaries Lenovacka and Lasovacka river. The influence of anthropogenic factors of degradation on the water reservoir, during the exploitation was analysed. Sampling was performed in according to seasonal changes, and results were analyzed for the period (May - October). Defined by the law of areas sanitary protection, the basis for the purpose of prevention of the degradation (organic and other pollutants) of the water reservoir was formed. Special attention is given to the structural characteristics of the geological terrain, mineral occurrences and mines in the hydro accumulation basin. The research results will be shown with tables, charts and maps.

We used variegated Plectranthus coleoides as a model plant with the aim of clarifying whether the effects of realistic ultraviolet-B (UV-B) doses on phenolic metabolism in leaves are mediated by photosynthesis. Plants were exposed to UV-B radiation (0.90 W m(-2) ) combined with two photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intensities [395 and 1350 μmol m(-2) s(-1) , low light (LL) and high light (HL)] for 9 d in sun simulators. Our study indicates that UV-B component of sunlight stimulates CO2 assimilation and stomatal conductance, depending on background light. UV-B-specific induction of apigenin and cyanidin glycosides was observed in both green and white tissues. However, all the other phenolic subclasses were up to four times more abundant in green leaf tissue. Caffeic and rosmarinic acids, catechin and epicatechin, which are endogenous peroxidase substrates, were depleted at HL in green tissue. This was correlated with increased peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase activities and increased ascorbate content. The UV-B supplement to HL attenuated antioxidative metabolism and partly recovered the phenolic pool indicating stimulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway. In summary, we propose that ortho-dihydroxy phenolics are involved in antioxidative defence in chlorophyllous tissue upon light excess, while apigenin and cyanidin in white tissue have preferentially UV-screening function.

We aimed to review our experience with childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There were 62 children, 52 girls and 10 boys. The mean age at disease onset was 12.9 +/- 2.4 years. Renal involvement was present in 33 (53.2%) children ; class IV lupus nephritis (LN) in 15 (45.5%), class III LN in 9 (27.3%), class II LN in 5 (15.1%), and class V LN in 4 (12.1%) cases. Based on clinical presentation and presence of renal involvement, patients were treated with corticosteroids alone or combined with cytotoxic drugs. Plasmapheresis or mycophenolate mofetil was used in 5 and 2 patients, respectively. Fifty-eight patients were followed for a mean period of 6.9 +/- 5.3 years. At last clinical evaluation, all 29 patients without renal involvement, except one who died with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome and CNS involvement, were in complete remission. Among 29 children with LN, 18 (62.0%) were in complete remission, 4 (13.9%) had clinically active disease but with normal renal function, and 7 (24.1%), 5 with class IV, 1 with class III and 1 with class V LN, had an adverse outcome, either preterminal (2) or terminal renal failure (2) or death (3). Five-year patients and kidney survival rates from the time of diagnosis to the endpoints of terminal failure or death were 91.2% and 90.7%, respectively in the whole LN group, and 88.9% and 80.9%, respectively, in the class IV LN group. Like in other pediatric series the prognosis of SLE in children is primarily dependent on the presence of renal involvement. The class IV LN has worse prognosis than other histopathological categories.

Cadmium concentrations were determined in aerosol samples collected in the period 1994–1997 in the areas of Kikinda and Novi Sad towns. In Kikinda, a town with developed metal and building industries located in a residental zone, they ranged from 0.00 to 1010 μg/m 2 per day. In Novi Sad, an urban environment with developed industry located in a residental zone, cadmium concentrations ranged in this period from 0.00 to 13.3 μg/m 2 per day. With the goal of estimating the effect of elevated cadmium concentrations in air on the fetus during the period of intrauterine growth, samples were collected and Cd concentrations were determined in the placenta and umbilical cord blood of newborn children from these areas. Cadmium concentrations in placentas of puerperae residing in the Kikinda area ranged from 0.006 to 0.124 μg/g, while the levels for Novi Sad ranged from 0.035 to 0.119 μg/g. It was noticed that cadmium concentrations in placentas of puerperae from the Novi Sad area were statistically significantly higher than in placentas of puerperae from the Kikinda area (t = 2.76, P = 0.0075). Cadmium concentrations in umbilical cord blood of newborn children from the Kikinda and Novi Sad areas ranged from 0.0010 to 0.0079 μg/ml and from 0.0006 to 0.0021 μg/ml, respectively, whereby it was found that the mean cadmium concentration in umbilical cord blood of newborn children from the Kikinda area was higher than cadmium concentration in umbilical cord blood of newborn children from the Novi Sad area.

Our aim was to assess long-term efficacy and tolerability of etanercept and infliximab in patients with JIA. This was an observational, retrospective study of 41 patients treated with anti-TNF therapy. We assessed clinical remission, flare, ACR improvement, improvement of DAS28, and JADAS. Some patients with polyarticular JIA were scored according to the modified SHARP criteria. Twenty-four weeks after beginning of therapy 35 patients (92.1%) achieved ACR 20, 33 patients (86.8%) ACR 30, 31 patients (81.6%) ACR 50, 28 patients (73.7%) ACR 70 and 20 patients (52.6%) ACR 90. In the same period 19 patients (50%) had good DAS28 response, 12 patients (31.6%) had moderate response, and 5 patients (13.2%) did not respond to therapy. Statistically significant difference was shown in the average value of JADAS-71 before the beginning and 24 weeks after introduction of anti-TNF therapy. Eleven patients had a flare in the study period (28.9%) ; five on etanercept (13.1%), three on infliximab (7.9%), and three flared on both of the medications (7.9%). After 12 months, fifteen patients fulfilled criteria for clinical remission on medications. Seven of them were on infliximab and eight on etanercept. Eleven patients have fulfilled criteria for clinical remission off of medications: three were taking etanercept, seven infliximab, and one was switched from etanercept to infliximab. In our patient cohort, both etanercept and infliximab performed well, since we found no significant difference in the duration, response, flare, resistance or adverse effects between both drugs, however long term remissions are rare.

Based on the results of Aerogamma spectrometric examination of morphological and geological-structural analysis, for explore the content of natural radionuclides in groundwater and surface water, the basin of Vranje area (Southern Serbia) was selected. On the area of 500 km2, the samples were collected from springs, wells, boreholes and surface flows. The water contents were determined by U, 226Ra, 222Rn, gases (O2, CO2, H2O), anion-cation composition, trace elements, pH value, Eh, Ec, water hardness and mineralization. Data analysis was performed according to the geology, in volcanoclastic sedimentary and metamorphic complex of the area of Vranjska Spa-Leskovac. In the area of Vranje Spa anomalous uranium content in groundwater and surface water, and mineralization in the volcanoclastic sediments have been identified. The warmest water source in borehole with temperature of 91-93 ºC is located in the area of Vranje Spa. The research results will be shown with tables and geochemical map 1: 50000.

Lakes and reservoirs, except groundwater and surface water, are in use for water supplying. In most cases, the reservoir was considered as a physical object from the hydroconstrucional and hydrogeological aspects and the ecological and biological aspects was ignored. Reservoirs are objects that were created by anthropogenic activities in the basin. They have their own singularity and their developmental stages. In the last-the evolution phase reservoir is affected by eutrophication, whose intensity depends on the amount of nutrients from the basin. Natural and anthropogenic influences give them more characteristic of unstable aquatic systems, dominated by the processes of eutrophication. With regard to development of eutrophication in reservoirs with water suppling as the main purpose, becomes actual again after frequent blooms, significant amounts of cyanotoxins and consumer complaints about sensory properties of drinking water. The aim of this study was to identify the causes that lead to the degradation of the water quality in the reservoir, and the factors that they have a long term effect on its trophicity. The establishment of sanitary protection zones are the key factors for the maintenance of water quality in reservoirs.