Riparian areas experience strong invasion pressures worldwide and represent important points of spread for invasive alien plants (IAPs) in the European mainland. The Danube Basin is a well-known ...point of high plant invasion levels. Given that the middle part of the Danube Basin is critically understudied and the general lack of data for Serbia, the study aimed to provide an insight into the spatial patterns of plant invasions in the riparian areas of Serbia (Middle Danube Basin area). A total of 250 field sites, distributed along 39 rivers (nine catchment areas) and six canal sections, were studied during a four-year period (2013–2016) for the presence and abundance of IAPs. At the landscape scale, we studied distribution patterns of IAPs, differences in invasion levels in different catchment areas and between rivers and canals. At the local scale, we investigated how the proximity to roads/railway lines, housing areas, different land-use types (primarily agriculture), and dominant vegetation on site related to invasion patterns. Of the 26 studied IAPs, those with a well-known weedy behavior, long history of cultivation and strong affinity for riparian areas prevailed in the study area. Riparian zones of the Danube catchment exhibited the highest invasion levels in terms of IAPs richness and abundance, followed by the catchment areas of the Timok, Sava and Zapadna Morava rivers. Surprisingly, the Danube-Tisa-Danube canal network had the lowest invasion level. At the local scale, agriculture in proximity of the field site and dominant vegetation on site were observed as significant predictors of the invasion level. On the other hand, proximity to roads/railway lines and housing areas was not related to the invasion level. Finally, our study provides the first systematic overview of IAPs’ distribution data for riparian areas of the Middle Danube Basin in Serbia, which could provide a basis for long-term monitoring of IAPs and development of future management plans.
Floristic diversity in the Pannonian Plain is the result of mosaic habitat composition, characterized by steppes, saline meadows, and lowland forests along major rivers. In the last few centuries, ...the flora has become enriched by species introduced by human activities, such as colonization and industrialization. Presently it consists of nearly 1800 species. As a result of 30 years of field research as well as herbarium and literature searches, a list of invasive alien neophytes has been compiled and is presented here. The list includes 152 species, classified as either naturalized, casual, or unknown. One of the species is listed in Red Book of Serbian Flora. Eighty species are naturalized, and 61 are casual species. The majority of the introduced flora originates from North America (66) and the Old World (43). Most alien invasive species of the Southeastern part of the Pannonian Plain, were introduced accidentally by seed material or deliberately by nursery saplings. The annual and perennial herbaceous plants, which flower in the summer and summer-autumn periods, are represented in the greatest numbers. The alien flora was further analyzed with respect to taxonomy, life forms, pollination, and seed dispersal mode. The greatest number of alien species appears in anthropogenic and semi-natural habitats (59). In natural habitats, 45 invasive taxa were recorded, representing a conservation threat to biodiversity.
The analysis of community structure in studies of freshwater ecology often requires the application of dimensionality reduction to process multivariate data. A high number of dimensions (number of ...taxa/environmental parameters × number of samples), nonlinear relationships, outliers, and high variability usually hinder the visualization and interpretation of multivariate datasets. Here, we proposed a new statistical design using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), and community partitioning using Louvain algorithms, to ordinate and classify the structure of aquatic biota in two-dimensional space. We present this approach with a demonstration of five previously published datasets for diatoms, macrophytes, chironomids (larval and subfossil), and fish. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Ward's clustering were also used to assess the comparability of the UMAP approach compared to traditional approaches for ordination and classification. The ordination of sampling sites in 2-dimensional space showed a much denser, and easier to interpret, grouping using the UMAP approach in comparison to PCA. The classification of community structure using the Louvain algorithm in UMAP ordinal space showed a high classification strength for data with a high number of dimensions than the cluster patterns obtained with the use of a Ward's algorithm in PCA. Environmental gradients, presented via heat maps, were overlayed with the ordination patterns of aquatic communities, confirming that the ordinations obtained by UMAP were ecologically meaningful. This is the first study that has applied a UMAP approach with classification using Louvain algorithms on ecological datasets. We show that the performance of local and global structures, as well as the number of clusters determined by the algorithm, make this approach more powerful than traditional approaches.
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•Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) is an ordination technique.•We proposed a new data analysis approach based on UMAP and Louvain algorithms.•Different community data were ordinated and classified using the new approach.•The UMAP provides the ecologically meaningful interpretation of the results obtained.•The results indicate that UMAP is more powerful than the traditional approaches.
Many charophytes are rare and endangered algae species. All charophyte species significantly contribute to the stability and health of the ecosystems they inhabit. Charophytes survive in their ...habitats thanks to the longevity of the diaspores (oospores and gyrogonites) in the sediment. Many charophyte species have a specific phenology and can sometimes be overlooked in surveys of macrophyte vegetation. We monitored vegetation for three years and collected sediment from a small water body in Serbia to test the hypotheses that (a) Extant charophyte diaspores have promising, yet currently limited application as taxonomic markers, (b) Vegetation data on charophyte diversity may provide different information than data obtained by extracting diaspores from sediments and (c) parallel surveys of vegetation and sediments can provide a more comprehensive view of charophyte diversity compared to traditional annual vegetation monitoring. Diaspores proved to be promising taxonomic characters for charophyte identification. In our study, six taxa could be identified on a species level based on diaspores alone, while one species group (
Chara
spp.) requires further investigation as it could consist of up to four species. Compared to vegetation, the sediment survey provided different information on charophyte diversity and confirmed the presence of the species
Sphaerochara intricata
and
Sphaerochara prolifera
, which were never detected during the vegetation survey. Sediment studies conducted in parallel with vegetation studies provide important insight into the diversity of charophytes and the prospects for their habitat conservation.
Introduction. In our modern "high-tech""society, comfort of the patient is often forgotten because the practice is usually performed according to the bio-medical model and focused only on solving the ...physical problems of the patient rather than on a holistic approach. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the comfort level of patients hospitalized with the immobilization. Material and Methods. The study was conducted as an observational, analytical cross-sectional study by interviewing 124 patients hospitalized at the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina. Comfort Immobilization Questionnaire with 20 individual statements that describe the current good or bad condition of the patient was used as an instrument of research. Descriptive and inferential statistics methods were applied for statistical data processing and statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05. Results. The immobilized orthopedic patients reported a high level of comfort in the socio-cultural and spiritual context, which was, however, insufficient in the physical context and the immediate environment context. A low level of comfort was reported by the patients between the ages of 36 and 59 years and the patients with immobilization of the upper extremities. Comfort level was conditioned by the intensity of pain and applied analgesic therapy rather than the duration of applied immobilization. Conclusion. The results of this study indicate that the patients' comfort level is significantly affected by modifying factors such as hospital facilities as well as the type of immobilization and their age. Comfort Immobilization Questionnaire has proven to be a simple and reliable questionnaire for testing the patients comfort level in different contexts.Key words: Patient Comfort; Immobilization; Patient Satisfaction; Pain; Age Factors; Nursing Care; Surveys and QuestionnairesUvod. U danasnjem tehnoloskom svetu cesto se zaboravlja na komfor pacijenta jer se uglavnom praksa obavlja po bio-medicinskom modelu i usmerena je na resavanje najcesce telesnih problema pacijenta, a ne na holistickom pristupu. Stoga je cilj ove studije bio da se proceni nivo komfora hospitalizovanih pacijenata sa postavljenom imobilizacijom. Materijal i metode. Ispitivanje je sprovedeno kao opservativna, analiticka studija preseka, anketiranjem 124 hospitalizovana pacijenta u Klinickom centru Vojvodine. Upitnik komfora u imobilizaciji sa 20 tvrdnji koje opisuju trenutno dobro ili lose stanje pacijenta koristio se kao instrument istrazivanja. Za statisticku obradu podataka primenjene su metode deskriptivne i inferencijalne statistke, a statisticka znacajnost odredivana je na nivou p < 0,05. Rezultati. Imobilisani ortopedski pacijenti su iskazali visok nivo komfora u drustveno-kulturoloskom i duhovnom kontekstu, a nedovoljan u fizickom i kontekstu neposrednog okruzenja. Nizak nivo komfora imali su pacijenti populacije izmedu 36 i 59 godina i pacijenti sa imobilizacijom gornjih ekstremiteta. Nivo komfora bio je uslovljen jacinom bola i primenjenom analgetskom terapijom, a ne duzinom primenjene imobilizacije. Zakljucak. Rezultati ovog istrazivanja ukazuju da na nivo komfora pacijenta znacajno uticu modifikujuci faktori kao sto su uslovi hospitalizacije, ali i tip imobilizacije i godine zivota. Upitnik komfora u imobilizaciji se pokazao kao jednostavan i pouzdan upitnik za ispitivanje nivoa komfora pacijenata u razlicitim kontekstima.Kljucne reci: komfor pacijenta; imobilizacija; zadovoljstvo pacijenta; bol; starosna dob; zdravstvena nega; istrazivanja i upitnici
Anthropogenic activities alter community composition, diversity and functioning of macroinvertebrate communities in freshwater ecosystems. Especially threatened are pond ecosystems, given their small ...size, low protection, and typically high connection to adjacent agricultural lands and urban areas. Most of the existing research, however, focuses on benthic macroinvertebrates while the evidence for epiphytic macroinvertebrates is strongly limited. Here we tested the effects of different anthropogenic activities on abundance, taxonomic and functional diversity, and composition of epiphytic macroinvertebrates in ponds along the gradients of local environmental factors. We found that all types of anthropogenic activities had negative impact on abundance, and on both taxonomic and functional diversity, and altered taxonomic and functional composition of epiphytic macroinvertebrates. Among the local environmental factors, macrophyte growth forms governed diversity and community composition, having positive effects on the taxonomic diversity, but allowing only a narrow spectrum of macroinvertebrate functional traits to persist on a single growth form of macrophytes. Fish predation was an important determinant of functional diversity of epiphytic macroinvertebrates. Our findings suggest that management strategies aimed to maintain high levels of biodiversity in ponds should be directed towards reducing the level of anthropogenic pressure, while ensuring the presence of distinct macrophyte growth forms in ponds.
The use of biological indicators in a bioassessment approach is important for inferences of anthropogenic stress in routine monitoring programs. One of the primary assumptions of bioassessment is ...that biological indicators observed at specific sampling sites will allow for inferences of local environmental quality; however, this assumption requires a reliable understanding of dispersal processes, which is particularly relevant in river systems due to their dendritic network. Inter-stream dispersal between different points of the river network could bias bioassessment, especially for highly mobile organisms like fish. Here, we examine standard biological metrics used in routine biomonitoring to determine how spatial variables, including dispersal, influence inferences between fish populations and environmental gradients. Using redundancy analysis (RDA) and variation partitioning, we tested the relative influence of both environmental and spatial variables on fish community structure and related community metrics. Fish were collected from 99 sampling sites distributed across 44 rivers and streams of the Great Morava River Basin, Serbia. Electroconductivity, the percentage of agricultural areas, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and nitrate-nitrogen were found to be significant environmental variables, while ten spatial predictors from broad- to small-scales were found to influence fish community structure and community metrics. Our results suggest that contemporary dispersal among streams influences fish community composition, but that trait-based metrics are less sensitive than basic measures of diversity to spatial processes. Our results highlight the need for spatially independent sampling, as well as the need to consider dispersal-based processes in routine biomonitoring.
Introduction. In our modern ?high-tech? society, comfort of the patient is
often forgotten because the practice is usually performed according to the
bio-medical model and focused only on solving the ...physical problems of the
patient rather than on a holistic approach. Therefore, the objective of
this study was to assess the comfort level of patients hospitalized with the
immobilization. Material and Methods. The study was conducted as an
observational, analytical cross-sectional study by interviewing 124 patients
hospitalized at the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina. Comfort Immobilization
Questionnaire with 20 individual statements that describe the current good
or bad condition of the patient was used as an instru?ment of research.
Descriptive and inferential statistics methods were applied for statistical
data processing and statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05.
Results. The immobilized orthopedic patients reported a high level of
comfort in the socio-cultural and spiritual context, which was, however,
insufficient in the physical context and the immediate environment context.
A low level of comfort was reported by the patients between the ages of 36
and 59 years and the patients with immobilization of the upper extremities.
Comfort level was conditioned by the intensity of pain and applied analgesic
therapy rather than the duration of applied immobilization. Conclusion. The
results of this study indicate that the patients? comfort level is
significantly affected by modifying factors such as hospital facilities as
well as the type of immobilization and their age. Comfort Immobilization
Questionnaire has proven to be a simple and reliable questionnaire for
testing the patients comfort level in different contexts.
nema
Introduction. Eye care is among basic nursing interventions in critically ill patients, but often neglected due to an ongoing focus on life threatening conditions in this group of patients. At the ...time being, there are no national guidelines for eye care in critically ill patients in Serbia. Aim of the study was to evident nurses' knowledge, attitudes and everyday clinical practice toward eye care in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. Material and Methods. The study was prospective, observative and cross sectional. Nurses working in intensive care units were interviewed. Study instrument was self administered questionnaire - "Eye care clinical competence in ICU inventory - ECC". This questionnaire showed good reliability with Cronbah Alfa 0.83. Descriptive and inferental statistical analysis was conducted in data analysis,with statistical significance of p<0.05. Results. Total average score of knowledge, attitude and everyday practice test point out that further improvement in the quality of eye care is needed in mechanically ventilated patients. There is a strong positive correlation between attitudes and practices in eye care - the more positive attitudes lead to more quality practices. Conclusion. According to our study results, nurses generally think that eye care in mechanically ventilated patient is important, but a general awareness about practices of care and prevention of iatrogenic eye conditions could be improved. Key words: Eye Injuries; Corneal Injuries; Intensive Care Units; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Critical Illness; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Respiration, Artificial Sazetak Uvod. Nega oka je jedna od bazicnih sestrinskih procedura koja se sprovodi kod pacijenata u jedinicama intenzivne terapije, ali zbog fokusiranosti na resavanje zivotno ugrozavajucih stanja ova procedura je cesto zanemarena. Situaciju otezava i nepostojanje jedinstvenog vodica dobre prakse za negu oka. Cilj ove studije bio je procena znanja, stavova i prakse medicinskih sestara zaposlenih u jedinici intenzivne terapije o nezi oka pacijenata na mehanickoj ventilaciji. Materijal i metode. Ispitivanje je sprovedeno kao opservativna, analiticka studija preseka, anketiranjem medicinskih sestara (N = 95) zaposlenih u jedinicama intenzivne terapije. Kao instrument istrazivanja koriscen je Upitnik klinicke kompetencije za negu oka u jedinicama intenzivne terapije. Upitnik je pokazao dobru pouzdanost, Kronbah (Cronbah) alfa za ceo upitnik iznosio je (0,83). Za statisticku obradu podataka primenjene su metode deskriptivne i inferencijalne statistike, a statisticka znacajnost odredivana je na nivou p < 0,05. Rezultati. Prosecni ukupni skorovi dobijeni na testu znanja stavova i prakse ukazuju na potrebu unapredenja kvaliteta usluga koje se pruzaju pacijentima na mehanickoj ventilaciji. Izmedu stavova i prakse prema nezi oka pacijenta na mehanickoj ventilaciji dobijena je jaka pozitivna korelacija, odnosno pozitivniji stav prati bolja praksa. Zakljucak. Prema rezultatima nase studije, medicinske sestre generalno smatraju negu oka vaznom, ali nisu dovoljno svesne mera predostroznosti i postupaka kojih se treba pridrzavati radi prevencije i tretmana ostecenja povrsine oka kod kriticno obolelih i povredenih pacijenata. Kljucne reci: povrede oka; povrede roznjace; jedinice intenzivne nege; bolnicko osoblje; kriticno oboleli; ankete i upitnici; znanje o zdravlju, stavovi, praksa; mehanicka ventilacija
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