Pyrimethanil, a synthetic fungicide widely used for the treatment of pre‐ and postharvest fungal diseases on different agricultural crops, was explored for its antifungal activity on different fungal strains. The effect of pyrimethanil on fungal ergosterol was tested by using Aspergillus niger as a model organism. Furthermore, it was investigated, if pyrimethanil can effectively reduce the appearance of Aspergillus rot in wounded cherry tomato fruits. The fungicide cytotoxic effect on different human cell lines was evaluated. In addition, its influence on cell proliferation was studied. A. niger was the most resistant fungal strain (MFC 1.88 μg μL−1) to the effect of pyrimethanil. Addition of ergosterol doubled the MFC on A. niger, indicating that the compound might interfere with ergosterol, main sterol of fungal cell membrane. Disease incidence of A. niger in wounded cherry tomato fruits was not detected with pyrimethanil treatment of 0.75 mg/wound. Some cytotoxic effects of pyrimethanil on human cell lines were recorded already at 50 ng μL−1, while the expression of Ki67 marker of proliferation was decreased with 150 ng μL−1. These results altogether indicate that pyrimethanil is effective in reducing various fungal pathogens, but further use of this fungicide should be reevaluated because of its cytotoxicity.

The following review is oriented towards microbes linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and antimicrobial effect of compounds and extracts derived from aquatic organisms against specific bacteria, fungi and viruses which were found previously in patients suffering from AD. Major group of microbes linked to AD include bacteria: Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Actinomyces naeslundii, spirochete group; fungi: Candida sp., Cryptococcus sp., Saccharomyces sp., Malassezia sp., Botrytis sp., and viruses: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Human cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the light of that fact, this review is the first to link antimicrobial potential of aquatic organisms against these sorts of microbes. This literature review might serve as a starting platform to develop novel supportive therapy for patients suffering from AD and to possibly prevent escalation of the disease in patients already having high risk factors for AD occurrence.

We analyzed the influence of inflammatory macrophages on the osteogenic process in subcutaneous implants composed of mineral bone substitute. Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages (TEPMs) were characterized as inflammatory. This was confirmed microscopically by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test and the production of tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF-?). The implants (M-type) were made of mineral bone substitute (Bio-Oss?) mixed with TEPMs and blood clot. Implants without macrophages served as the control (C-type). Subcutaneous implantation in the interscapular area was performed on BALB/c mice. Implants were extracted after 2 and 8 weeks. In M-type implants, phagocytosis and angiogenesis were more pronounced, and osteoblast-like cells aligned onto granules of implanted material and osteoid structures can be seen. The observed higher osteocalcin and lower osteopontin immunoexpression in M-type implants when compared to the control after 8 weeks suggest a more advanced osteogenic process. Our results indicate that the presence of inflammatory macrophages in the composition of an implant may have a beneficial effect on the osteogenic process.

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Departman za biologiju i ekologiju, Prirodno-matemetički fakultet, Univerzitet u Nišu Sažetak Bipedalizam je svojstven čoveku. U toku evolucije došlo je do razvoja dvonožnog načina kretanja najverovatnije kao odgovor na promene uslova životne sredine. U razvoju dvonožnosti desile su se krupne promene u skeletnom sistemu čovekovih predaka i to u kostima karlice, femura, kičme i lobanje. Ove promene najlakše je objasniti uporednim pregledom anatomije čovekolikih majmuna, šimpanze ili gorile, australopitekusa i čoveka. Značaj bipedalnog načina kretanja je višestruk. Bipedalizam je oslobodio prednje ekstremitete za nošenje objekata i izradu predmeta i korišćenje alata. U uspravnom stavu životinje imaju širi pogled na okolinu, a na otvorenom prostoru rano uočavanje predatora ima ključan značaj u biološkom opstanku. Bipedalna lokomocija omogućava lakši prelaz većih rastojanja, što je veoma značajno u migraciji hominida.

U ovom radu su predstavljeni osnovni tipovi uređaja za konverziju energije morskih talasa u električnu. Poseban akcenat je stavljen na engl. point absorber-e zasnovane na bovnom elementu sa linearnim generatorom, kao osnovnom delu električnog podsklopa. U radu je predstavljen matematički model linearnog sinhronog generatora sa stalnim magnetima, za potrebe simulacionog modela kreiranog u MATLAB softverskom okruženju. Nadalje je izvršena analiza odziva simulicionog modela, koji su u samom zaključku upoređeni sa drugim sistemima za konverziju morskih talasa u električnu energiju.