The motif of insanity was quite frequent in Ancient Greek Literature. In turns, it was viewed as obsession, illness, or just and justified punishment. Insanity always brought some kind of ...self-inspection and self-cognition. Heracles is an ancient hero who committed a crime against his closest relatives in a state of severe madness. The Serbian epic hero Marko Kraljević shared a similar fate. The authors of the paper will investigate the motives of insanity of both heroes in two different, but traditionally close cultures: Greek and South Slavic. The motif of heroic madness is explored in tragedies related to Heracles, and in Serbian epic poetry known as the epic cycle of Marko Kraljević.
The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of native and invasive plant species for the uptake and accumulation of lithium (Li) and strontium (Sr) along the Sava River, focusing on ...their bioindication and phytoremediation capabilities. Sampling was carried out in riparian zones exposed to different pollution sources in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. Plant samples of native (Salix alba, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Ulmus glabra, Juglans regia) and invasive (Amorpha fruticosa, Reynoutria japonica, Solidago canadensis, Impatiens glandulifera) species were collected. The content of Li and Sr was analyzed in the soils, roots, and leaves of the selected plants, as well as physical and chemical soil properties. Both Li and Sr content in the soils increased from the source to the mouth of the Sava River. The native species showed significant potential for Li and Sr accumulation based on the metal accumulation index. The highest Sr accumulation was measured in the leaves of Salix alba and the roots of Juglans regia, while the highest Li accumulation was measured in Ulmus glabra. Native species, especially Salix alba, proved to be better bioindicators of Li and Sr. Invasive species, especially Amorpha fruticosa and Impatiens glandulifera, showed a remarkable ability to translocate Sr and Li, respectively, to leaves. These results provide valuable insight into the suitability of plants for biomonitoring soil contamination and potential applications in phytoremediation strategies. In summary, the study shows the importance of native species in the context of the accumulation and bioindication of soil pollution.
Aquatic plants, just like terrestrial plants, are exposed to oxidative stress. However, their responses are still under-researched. In this study, we examined the physiological and antioxidative ...responses of an aquatic plant, duckweed (Lemna minor L.), to four indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-degrading and -producing Pseudomonas bacteria (Pseudomonas oryzihabitans D1-104/3, P. putida A3-104/5, P. gessardii C31-106/3 and P. yamanorum C44-104/1) and/or a supraphysiological level of IAA (10 mg L−1). Growth characteristics, total photosynthetic pigment content, histochemical localization of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT and POX) were evaluated at two time points, after 3 and 7 days of co-cultivation. Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide were produced and accumulated mainly in the roots, daughter fronds and veins of duckweeds. Duckweeds’ responses depended on the strain of Pseudomonas, time and exogenous IAA. Co-cultivation of duckweed with bacteria has positive or neutral effects. Exogenous application of IAA had a negative or neutral effect on enzyme activity and other parameters. Co-cultivation with P. gessardii C31-106/3 showed plant-growth-promoting effects on duckweed: increased biomass production, modulation of duckweeds’ antioxidant enzymatic activity and reduction in hydrogen peroxide content. This study widens our knowledge of aquatic plants and their response to oxidative stress, supports the hypothesis that plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) induce tolerable levels of oxidative stress in plants and introduces a new PGPB strain, P. gessardii C31-106/3.
The enormous quantities of fly ash (FA) produced by thermal power plants is a global problem and safe, sustainable approaches to reduce the amount and its toxic effects are still being sought. ...Vegetation cover comprising long-living species can help reduce FA dump-related environmental health issues. However, the synergistic effect of multiple abiotic factors, like drought, low organic matter content, a deficit of essential nutrients, alkaline pH, and phytotoxicity due to high potentially toxic element (PTE) and soluble salt content, limits the number of species that can grow under such stressful conditions. Thus, we hypothesised that
L., which spontaneously colonised two FA disposal lagoons at the 'Nikola Tesla A' thermal power plant (Obrenovac, Serbia) 3 years (L3) and 11 years (L11) ago, has high restoration potential thanks to its stress tolerance. We analysed the basic physical and chemical properties of FA at different weathering stages, while the ecophysiological response of
to multiple stresses was determined through biological indicators the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) for PTEs (As, B, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Se, and Zn) and by measuring the following parameters: photosynthetic efficiency and chlorophyll concentration, non-enzymatic antioxidant defence (carotenoids, anthocyanins, and phenols), oxidative stress (malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations), and total antioxidant capacity (IC50) to neutralise DPPH free radical activity. Unlike at L3, toxic As, B, and Zn concentrations in leaves induced oxidative stress in
at L11, shown by the higher MDA levels, lower vitality, and reduced synthesis of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and total antioxidant activity, suggesting its stress tolerance decreases with long-term exposure to adverse abiotic factors. Although
is a fast-growing species with good metal accumulation ability and high stress tolerance, it has poor stabilisation potential for substrates with high As and B concentrations, making it highly unsuitable for revitalising such habitats.
Past studies in Serbia have reported concurrent infections of
Ixodes ricinus
ticks with
Borrelia burgdorferi
sensu lato genospecies,
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
and
Francisella tularensis
. As a step ...forward, this investigation included a broader range of microorganisms and five most common and abundant tick species in Serbia. Five tick species were identified (
Dermacentor marginatus
,
D. reticulatus
,
Haemaphysalis punctata
,
H. concinna
and
I. ricinus
) and analyzed for the presence of seven pathogens.
Anaplasma ovis
,
A. phagocytophilum
,
Babesia canis
,
B. burgdorferi
s.l.,
Coxiella burnetii
,
Rickettsia helvetica
and
R. monacensis
were detected. Sequencing of samples positive for
F. tularensis
revealed the presence of
Francisella
-like endosymbionts. No
Bartonella
spp. DNA was amplified. Concurrent infections were present in three tick species (
D. reticulatus
,
H. concinna
and
I. ricinus
). The rate of co-infections was highest in
I. ricinus
(20/27), while this tick species harbored the broadest range of co-infection combinations, with dual, triple and a quadruple infection(s) being detected.
Potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination in medicinal plants, particularly those growing in urban environments, can cause human health issues. Therefore, this study evaluated trace element ...accumulation and translocation patterns (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in the aboveground tissue of common Tilia tomentosa Moench, often used as a medicinal plant, sampled in Belgrade’s urban parks (Zemunski Park, Park Blok 63, and Park Topčider). Our results indicated that this species exhibits the ability to accumulate and translocate PTEs, particularly Cu, in its aboveground parts. It was found that the levels of Cu and Sr in flowers were within the toxic range for plants, indicating a potential risk in using T. tomentosa flowers from Park Topčider for medicinal purposes. The maximum Estimated Daily Intake of Ni from the consumption of leaves and flowers of plants growing in two parks (Zemunski Park and Park Topčider) exceeded the corresponding Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake. Additionally, the Carcinogenic Risk calculated for Cr present in flowers was above the USEPA limit (3.021 × 10sup.−3 ), indicating possible adverse effects on human health and a carcinogenic risk from ingesting tea prepared from T. tomentosa flowers from Park Topčider. Our research underlines how crucial it is to cautiously use medicinal tree species growing in urban parks in residential areas.
Potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination in medicinal plants, particularly those growing in urban environments, can cause human health issues. Therefore, this study evaluated trace element ...accumulation and translocation patterns (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in the aboveground tissue of common Tilia tomentosa Moench, often used as a medicinal plant, sampled in Belgrade’s urban parks (Zemunski Park, Park Blok 63, and Park Topčider). Our results indicated that this species exhibits the ability to accumulate and translocate PTEs, particularly Cu, in its aboveground parts. It was found that the levels of Cu and Sr in flowers were within the toxic range for plants, indicating a potential risk in using T. tomentosa flowers from Park Topčider for medicinal purposes. The maximum Estimated Daily Intake of Ni from the consumption of leaves and flowers of plants growing in two parks (Zemunski Park and Park Topčider) exceeded the corresponding Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake. Additionally, the Carcinogenic Risk calculated for Cr present in flowers was above the USEPA limit (3.021 × 10−3), indicating possible adverse effects on human health and a carcinogenic risk from ingesting tea prepared from T. tomentosa flowers from Park Topčider. Our research underlines how crucial it is to cautiously use medicinal tree species growing in urban parks in residential areas.
In order to determine whether conserved tick salivary protein AV422 is immunogenic, the goal of our study was to detect specific IgG response within at-risk populations. Study groups included 76 ...individuals, differing in occurrence of recently recorded tick bites and health status. Western blotting with recombinant (r) protein derived from
Ixodes ricinus
(
Ir
) was performed. IgG response to
Borrelia
/
Rickettsia
, as indicators of previous tick infestations, was also assessed. Additionally, a detailed in silico AV422 protein sequence analysis was performed, followed by modelling of the interactions between peptides and corresponding MHC II molecules by molecular docking. Anti-r
Ir
AV422 seroprevalences among individuals exposed to ticks were high (62.5, 57.9 and 66.7%) and anti-
Borrelia
/
Rickettsia
seroprevalences were 54.2, 15.8 and 44.4% among individuals with/without recent tick bite and patients suspected of tick-borne disease, respectively. In silico analysis of AV422 protein sequence showed a high level of conservation across tick genera, including also the predicted antigenic determinants specific for T and B cells. Docking to the restricted MHC II molecules was performed for all predicted AV422 T cell epitopes, and the most potent (highly immunogenic) epitope determinants were suggested. The epitope prediction reveals that tick salivary protein AV422 may elicit humoral immune response in humans, which is consistent with the high anti-r
Ir
AV422 seroprevalence in tested at-risk subjects. Tick-borne diseases are a growing public health concern worldwide, and AV422 is potentially useful in clinical practice and epidemiological studies.
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