Abiotic stressors such as extreme temperatures, drought, flood, light, salt, and heavy metals alter biological diversity and crop production worldwide. Therefore, it is important to know the mechanisms by which plants cope with stress conditions. Polyphenols, which are the largest group of plant-specialized metabolites, are generally recognized as molecules involved in stress protection in plants. This diverse group of metabolites contains various structures, from simple forms consisting of one aromatic ring to more complex ones consisting of large number of polymerized molecules. Consequently, all these molecules, depending on their structure, may show different roles in plant growth, development, and stress protection. In the present review, we aimed to summarize data on how different polyphenol structures influence their biological activity and their roles in abiotic stress responses. We focused our review on phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenoids, and lignans.

ABSTRACT Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show a large overlap in clinical presentation, which presents diagnostic challenges. As a consequence, invasive and burdensome endoscopies are often used to distinguish between IBD and IBS. Here, we aimed to develop a noninvasive fecal test that can distinguish between IBD and IBS and reduce the number of endoscopies. We used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze the composition and function of gut microbiota of 169 IBS patients, 447 IBD patients and 1044 population controls and measured fecal Calprotectin (FCal), human beta defensin 2 (HBD2), and chromogranin A (CgA) in these samples. These measurements were used to construct training sets (75% of data) for logistic regression and machine learning models to differentiate IBS from IBD and inactive from active IBD. The results were replicated on test sets (remaining 25% of the data) and microbiome data obtained using 16S sequencing. Fecal HBD2 showed high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating between IBD and IBS (sensitivity = 0.89, specificity = 0.76), while the inclusion of microbiome data with biomarkers (HBD2 and FCal) showed a potential for improvement in predictive power (optimal sensitivity = 0.87, specificity = 0.93). Shotgun sequencing–based models produced comparable results using 16S-sequencing data. HBD2 and FCal were found to have predictive power for IBD disease activity (AUC ≈ 0.7). HBD2 is a novel biomarker for IBD in patients with gastro-intestinal complaints, especially when used in combination with FCal and potentially in combination with gut microbiome data.

Abstract Studies published earlier this year demonstrated the association of the solute carrier SLC6A20 gene with the risk and severity of COVID-19. The SLC6A20 protein product (Sodium-dependent Imino Transporter 1 (SIT1)) is involved in the transport of amino acids, including glycine. Here we summarized the results of recent studies demonstrating the interaction of SIT1 with the ACE2 receptor for SARS-CoV-2 as well as an observed association of SLC6A20 with the risk and traits of Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recently, it was also proposed that SLC6A20 represents the novel regulator of glycine levels and that glycine has beneficial effects against the proinflammatory cytokine secretion induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Ivermectin, as a partial agonist of glycine-gated chloride channels, was also recently suggested to interfere with the COVID-19 cytokine storm by inducing the activation of glycine receptors. Furthermore, plasma glycine levels are found to be decreased in diabetic patients. Thus, further clinical trials are warranted to confirm the potential favorable effects of targeting the SIT1 transporter and glycine levels in the treatment of COVID-19, particularly for the severe case of disease associated with hyperglycemia, inflammation, and T2D. These findings suggest that SIT1 may potentially represent one of the missing pieces in the complex puzzle observed between these two pandemic diseases and the potential novel target for their efficient treatment.

Intrinsically fluorescent carbon dots may form the basis for a safer and more accurate sensor technology for digital counting in bioanalytical assays. This work presents a simple and inexpensive synthesis method for producing fluorescent carbon dots embedded in hollow silica particles. Hydrothermal treatment at low temperature (160 °C) of microporous silica particles in presence of urea and citric acid results in fluorescent, microporous and hollow nanocomposites with a surface area of 12 m2 /g. High absolute zeta potential (-44 mV) at neutral pH demonstrates the high electrosteric stability of the nanocomposites in aqueous solution. Their fluorescence emission at 445 nm is remarkably stable in aqueous dispersion under a wide pH range (3-12) and in the dried state. The biocompatibility of the composite particles is excellent, as the particles were found to show low genotoxicity at exposures up to 10 μg/cm2 .

Background: Drought is one of the major abiotic factors leading to diminishing growth, development and productivity of plants worldwide. Considering that germination is the first phase of growth which in large measure determines plant quality and yield, knowing the effects of different factors on this process is of major importance. This paper studies the effect of drought-induced stress on seed germination and seedling growth of Zea mays L. (the Sweet corn and the hybrid Pioneer B23). Methods: The effect of water stress was caused by different concentrations of mannitol: 5%, 10% and 20%. In the control, we used distilled water. The germination test was performed in three trials of 45 seeds each. The germination percentage, germination potential, drought resistance index were calculated at 3, 5 and 7 days. Growth of seedlings and biomass content were calculate at 14 days.Result: The results show significant differences between the variety and hybrid examined. The pioneer B23 seed germinated in larger number and more quickly. The Sweet corn variety seedling growth was completely absent after treatment with mannitol. The observed difference is certainly not just a consequence of higher mannitol concentrations, but also a difference in the water-retention capability of the variety and hybrid studied. 

Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-scale wildland fire statistics across European countries, there is still a crucial need to collect and summarize in-depth local analysis and understanding of the wildland fire condition and associated challenges across Europe. This article aims to provide a general overview of the current wildland fire patterns and challenges as perceived by national representatives, supplemented by national fire statistics (2009–2018) across Europe. For each of the 31 countries included, we present a perspective authored by scientists or practitioners from each respective country, representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds. The authors were selected from members of the COST Action “Fire and the Earth System: Science & Society” funded by the European Commission with the aim to share knowledge and improve communication about wildland fire. Where relevant, a brief overview of key studies, particular wildland fire challenges a country is facing, and an overview of notable recent fire events are also presented. Key perceived challenges included (1) the lack of consistent and detailed records for wildland fire events, within and across countries, (2) an increase in wildland fires that pose a risk to properties and human life due to high population densities and sprawl into forested regions, and (3) the view that, irrespective of changes in management, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of wildland fires in the coming decades. Addressing challenge (1) will not only be valuable in advancing national and pan-European wildland fire management strategies, but also in evaluating perceptions (2) and (3) against more robust quantitative evidence.

Moving beyond notions of cosmopolitanism as a form of elitism, a condition of globalization, or a predominantly transnational orientation (to the exclusion of local affiliations), the volume draws on international survey data to posit an alternative view of cosmopolitanism, characterized by interlinkages and tensions between cosmopolitan and local identities and forms of belonging. Elaborating on what is termed ‘‘the cosmopolitan spirit,’’ Part II identifies four equally significant types of cosmopolitan expression, reflecting divergent processes of cosmopolitan socialization. A key argument here is that individuals can both be and become cosmopolitan in specific ways. The four forms of cosmopolitan orientation correspond to the aesthetic, cultural, ethical, and political dimensions of the cosmopolitan spirit and encompass different sets of cosmopolitan capabilities and virtues. The volume cogently explains and then illustrates the various cosmopolitan expressions with effective, sufficiently detailed international case studies and empirical work. Part II thus vitally provides sociologists and other academics with conceptual tools and typologies to examine and understand cosmopolitanism as it takes shape through people’s specific, situated relationships to the world. For this reader, however, the volume made less of how to apply these tools in conducting research ‘‘on the ground’’ and with regard to potential, tangible research sites. As such, the book’s main contribution is largely conceptual, in that it represents a valuable attempt to rework well-established sociological ideas (rather than relegate them to the theoretical dustbin) within a cosmopolitan sociology and to reassert their relevance in a cosmopolitan world. More than this, however, it commendably extends such ideas by advancing a typology of the cosmopolitan spirit’s different manifestations, providing new directions for research in the vein of a cosmopolitan sociology. Well-written and insightful, the book achieves its stated primary objective, which is ‘‘to locate cosmopolitan theories amidst social actors’ experiences of a shared and plural world, moving away from cosmopolitanism as a theoretical and normative perspective in order to examine the tangible, ordinary mechanisms of global society that are shaping the cultural imaginaries and the lives of individuals today’’ (p. xviii). In particular, it provides a nuanced understanding of contemporary cosmopolitanism, considering its different dimensions, contradictions, and ambivalent character, particularly as it unfolds and is grounded in quotidian processes of socialization. The volume is an important read for scholars and advanced students interested in cosmopolitanism in terms of its relationship to globalization, its key characteristics, and contemporary expressions. It may be less accessible to those without an introductory understanding of cosmopolitanism and the pivotal debates in cosmopolitan thought. Nonetheless, the book would be a valuable, welcome addition to the required readings for graduate seminars on the sociology of globalization and the sociology of cosmopolitanism, as well as seminars on socialization and identity formation, which now occur in a plural and shared global society.

Results: After 247 ± 53 seconds (4 minutes and 11 seconds) in average patients developed NSVT, and were referred for coronary angiography. Of total number, 4 had a significant finding on coronary angiography; 3 patients had single-vessel coronary disease (one received a stent on right coronary artery (RCA), two on left anterior descending artery (LAD)), and one had triple-vessel coronary disease (received a stent on circumflex artery (CX) and LAD).

Abstract Objectives The aim of this article was to present a case of premature fetal closure of the ductus arteriosus (DA) of unknown cause. Case presentation A 32-year-old pregnant woman came for the regular prenatal visit at 36 + 1 weeks of gestation (WG) at which oligohydramnios and premature closure of DA were revealed. Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was excluded by the history, although the patient had the symptoms of common cold 2 weeks before the check-up taking more than 1,000 mL of strong chamomile tea daily till the day before the prenatal visit. The patient was hospitalized at 36 + 1 weeks of gestation due to premature closure of DA and oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index = 4.5/3), which was the indication to deliver the baby by cesarean section at 36 + 6 WG (birth weight was 2,830 g, birth length 49 cm and head circumference 34 cm, Apgar score at 1 and 5 min were 9/9). Postnatal course was uneventful, and postnatal echocardiography at 12 h of life revealed functionally closed DA and mild dysfunction of the right ventricle, which completely resolved after 7 days. The mother and the baby were discharged home healthy, and were doing well 3 months after delivery. Conclusions Although the cause of premature closure of DA in most of the cases will remain undetected, thorough history sometimes with unexpected events should be taken under the consideration as possible causative factor for premature DA closure, as was drinking of high quantities of chamomile tea in our case.

ACCEpTED: December 18, 2020 Introduction: Exercise stress test (ergometry) in pediatric cardiology practice is used to examine the condition and functional ability of the heart in children. It is performed using a bicycle ergometer or treadmill, estimating and measuring the amount of physical activity, heart rate, blood pressure values and electrocardiogram.1,2 The aim of article was to present the role and importance of exercise stress test in everyday clinical pediatric cardiac practice.

Background: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) represent the most numerous and significant group of biotherapeutics. While mAbs have undoubtedly improved treatment for many chronic diseases, including inflammatory diseases, they are typically expensive for health care systems and patients. Consequently, access to mAbs has been a problem for many patients especially among Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. However, biosimilars can potentially help with costs, although there are concerns with their effectiveness and safety. This includes biosimilars for long-acting insulin analogues. Aim: Assess the availability and use of biological medicines, including biosimilars within Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Methods: Assess the availability of mAbs via the current lists of approved and accessed mAbs versus those licenced in Europe and the United States and their utilisation, as well as specifically insulin glargine and its biosimilars, within B&H. Results: The availability of the mAbs in B&H appears satisfactory, which is encouraging. However, current usage is limited to a few mAbs which is a concern for subsequent patient care especially with limited use of biosimilars to address issues of affordability. We also see limited use of biosimilar insulin glargine. Conclusion The limited use of mAbs including biosimilars needs to be addressed in B&H to improve the future care of patients within finite resources. We will monitor these developments.