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Adaptation and validation of the Serbian version of Dyslexia Screening Test-Junior
No full textBackground/Objectives: Dyslexia, a prevalent reading disorder, substantially
affects children’s educational and social development. Early diagnosis is essential for timely
intervention; however, Serbia lacks a standardized instrument for assessing dyslexia in
primary school children. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and predictive validity
of the Dyslexia Screening Test-Junior (DST-J), which was adapted for the Serbian language
and cultural context. Methods: The study sample comprised 647 children from the general
population, aged 6 years and 6 months to 11 years and 5 months, along with 30 children
of comparable age exhibiting reading difficulties. The assessment of validity was based
on the at-risk quotient, predictive validity, and test–retest reliability. Results: Significant
differences in at-risk quotient (ARQ) scores were found between children with and without
dyslexia (t = 14.90, p < 0.001), with boys, particularly those aged 9.6 to 10.5 years, having
higher risk scores than girls. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s α = 0.704), and
construct validity was confirmed by correlations with external measures, which explained
44% of the variance (R2 = 0.44; p < 0.01). Predictive validity was high for key subtests such
as rapid naming and phonemic segmentation, reaching maximum accuracy (sensitivity
and specificity = 1). Conclusions: The findings indicate that the adapted DST-J is effective
in identifying dyslexia risk among Serbian primary school children. The innovation of this
study lies in the cultural adaptation of the DST-J, with future research directed towards
refining this instrument and exploring additional diagnostic criteria to enhance its accuracy
and inclusivity
Does mercury affect morphology, developmental stability and canalization of the skull in the Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis)?
No full textEnvironmental pollution by metals and metalloids can have a detrimental effect on the fitness and development of organisms. Studies on the influence of metals and metalloids as environmental stressors on developmentally and functionally complex morphological structures of reptiles are important, as this group of vertebrates is highly threatened and is an important component of food webs. To assess the effects of chronic mercury exposure on cranium morphology and post-natal development in a model species of lizards, we analysed the concentration of this metal in liver tissues in the population of the Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) from the mercury mine tailings and the control population, and possible differences in skull size, shape, developmental stability and canalization between the two groups. Patterns of variation and asymmetry of the cranium shape were analysed using geometric morphometrics. The mercury concentration was significantly higher in the population from the polluted locality, but had very little to no effect on the cranial morphology. Juveniles and females from both sites had the same size and shape of the dorsal and ventral cranium, while males showed small differences in ventral cranium shape, reflected in slightly longer maxillae and wider crania at the polluted site. The pattern of sexual dimorphism remained constant at both localities. Both static and ontogenetic allometry were significant in both groups, and allometric trajectories did not differ between the two sites. The differences in fluctuating asymmetry (FA) between localities were not statistically significant for the dorsal and ventral cranium. The results do not support the idea that FA can be used as an early indicator mercury exposure at the population level.This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Urošević A, Vukov T, Cvijanović M, Janković S, Nikolić D, Ajduković M, Anđelković M, Ljubisavljević K, Tomašević Kolarov N. Does mercury affect morphology, developmental stability and canalization of the skull in the Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis)?. in Chemosphere. 2025;375:144219. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144219
The crosstalk between PFKFB3, HIF-1α, AMPKα, NRF2, and insulin in the regulation of the glycolytic pathway during breast cancer progression
No full textReprogramming energy metabolism is essential for cell survival, especially in cancer. From Otto Warburg to the present day, understanding the regulation of the metabolic switch to the glycolytic pathway is still a challenge. The central point of glycolysis regulation is an irreversible reaction catalyzed by the enzyme 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase (PFK-1). In addition, PFK-1 is strongly activated by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6BP), an allosteric modulator formed and degraded in a reaction catalyzed by the bifunctional enzyme 6- phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFKFB). Given that its isoform 3 (PFKFB3) dirers in that it has a high kinase/bisphosphatase ratio, thus strongly activating glycolysis, our goal was to investigate how it changes in relation to other (transcriptional) factors crucial for establishing glycolytic phenotype. To this end, we used an orthotopic breast cancer model in wild-type (WT) and mice lacking functional NRF2 (Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; NRF2KO). We analyzed PFKFB3 protein expression and localization in cancer tissue at direrent time points of tumor growth (10, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg), as well as the protein expression of pNRF2 (phosphorylated NRF2), HIF-1α (Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α), pAMPKα (phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase α), and insulin immunoexpression. The protein levels of PFKFB3 increased in 50 mg tumors, reaching the highest point in 200 and 400 mg tumors. The same pattern was shown for HIF- 1α, pAMPKα, and pNRF2, with no changes between WT and NRF2KO mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that PFKFB3 is present only in the nuclei in 10 mg tumors, while with tumor growth, it was found in both nuclei and cytoplasm with overall increased immunopositivity. Moreover, insulin was not detected in the cytoplasm of cancer cells in both WT and NRF2KO mice with 10 mg tumors, but the number of insulin-positive cancer cells increased with tumor growth. These results suggest that PFKFB3 acts synergistically with other key metabolic regulators of glycolysis, thus playing a crucial part in the integration of the overall energy metabolism in breast cancer.Conference proceedings: EMBO Workshop on Energy Balance in Metabolic Diseases; 2025 Feb 10-13; Torremolinos, Spain. Heidelberg, Germany: EMBO; 2025. p. 48-9
Essential oils as feed additives: A novel approach to managing poultry red mite infestations and boosting egg production
No full textThis study assessed the efficacy of a plant-based premix of feed additives (PFA) composed
of essential oils and vitamins on a farm with 1560 laying hens (ISA Brown line),
naturally infested with poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae. The trial lasted
44 days. The AVIVET traps were used to determine PRM mass, number of eggs, larvae,
blood-engorged and unfed nymphs, and adults on day − 12, − 5, and 0 before, and on
days 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 23, and 30, after, hens started to consume PFA. Friedman’s ANOVA
was utilised to identify differences between means, and the post hoc Wilcoxon matched
Pairs Test was then employed to ascertain the impact of the tested PFA on the D. gallinae
population. From the eighth day until the end of the trial period, a statistically lower mass
of mites (P < 0.05), the number of nymphs (P < 0.05) and the number of blood-engorged
mites (P < 0.05) were observed compared to day 0. In comparison to day 0, a statistically
significantly lower number of eggs (P < 0.01) was observed on day 5 (P < 0.05), day 11
(P < 0.01), larvae on day 23 (P < 0.05) and day 30 (P < 0.01), as well as unfed mites on
days 15, 23, and 30 (P < 0.01, P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). Egg production (%,
hen-day) in 52–54 weeks of age (control period) was 88.7, while in 55–58 weeks of age
(trial period) was 89.5. The results indicate that the tested PFA can control PRM without
adversely affecting egg production
Host-shift changes patterns of morphological integration in a sex-specific manner: an experimental evolution approach in a seed beetle
No full textModularity can be defined as the variation of integration within an organism, with some parts being more integrated and relatively independent of other parts, known as modules. The degree of integration of morphological traits can vary in phytophagous insects during host shift, when changes in food quality and chemical environment challenge them to adjust their developmental programme to newly imposed factors. Such stress can destabilise development and disrupt existing correlations between morphological traits. Since responses to environmental changes are often sex-specific, a change of host can also affect patterns of sexual dimorphism.Within a framework of experimental evolution, we conducted reciprocal transplant experiment with eight replicate populations of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) adapted to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae) as their ancestral host and to chickpea (Cicer arietinum L., Fabaceae) as a suboptimal host. Using methods of geometric morphometrics we investigated the effects of short- term (single generation) and long-term (140 generations) host shifts on the changes in the patterns of morphological integration of two functional modules, thorax and abdomen in seed beetles of both sexes. Our results showed that the functional hypothesis of a two-module body was confirmed in females, suggesting that reproductive function plays the central role in forming patterns of modularity in response to environmental changes. Moreover, the degree of integration within two functional modules is higher in the ancestral host than in the suboptimal host, regardless of whether they evolved over one or more generations on the common bean. Our results suggest that host shifts in phytophaogus insects can reshape patterns of covariation of morphological traits and potentially influence the evolutionary trajectories of populations in a sex-specific manner.Abstract Book: Congress of the European Sociey for Evolutionary Biology; 2025 Aug 17-22; Barcelona, Spain. European Society for Evolutionary Biology; 2025. p. 1579
Patients with Trichinella spiralis infection display unmodified antigen-specific immune response to SARS-CoV-2
No full textBACKGROUND Through coevolution, helminths have developed immunomodulatory mechanisms that regulate exaggerated host
immune responses and may influence immune responses to coinfections or vaccines. The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)
pandemic has raised concerns about how such infections might affect vaccine-triggered immune responses.
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate how ongoing Trichinella spiralis infection affects the immune response
to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in individuals already vaccinated or virus-primed, during
Trichinella outbreak in Serbia.
METHODS Among 21 individuals who tested positive for anti-Trichinella antibodies, 15 were included in the study, which allowed
for the first time to examine the impact of Trichinella infection on the humoral and cellular immune response to the SARS-CoV-2
using flow cytometry.
FINDINGS The results showed that Trichinella infection did not impair antibody production or cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2.
Specifically, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and memory B cells remain unaffected, and T cells (CD4+
and CD8+
) responded to
SARS-CoV-2 antigens by generating pro-inflammatory cytokines.
MAIN CONCLUSIONS Trichinella spiralis infection does not disrupt the host’s humoral or cellular immune response to SARSCoV-2, suggesting that the use of Trichinella antigens for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders, which is promising,
will not affect the host’s ability to respond to future viral challenges
Refugial habitats of paleoendemic Picea omorika: soil and plant attributes
No full textRefugial habitats occupied by palaeoendemic species provide valuable insights into the adaptive strategies of populations shaped by long-term climatic and environmental change. They also help to assess the conservation potential of refugia under future climate scenarios. In this study, two refugia of Picea omorika on Mount Tara, Serbia, Trenice (S) on serpentine substrate and Vranjak (NS) on non-serpentine substrate, were investigated in terms of soil properties (both under natural and climate-simulated conditions) and plant traits (leaf stoichiometry and morphophysiological traits). The soils at the two sites differed significantly in terms of nutrient content, total organic carbon, moisture content and trace metal concentrations, while the pH values were similar and both had a high Ca:Mg ratio. Serpentine (S) and non-serpentine (NS) populations differed significantly in trace metal concentrations in needles, soil-to-leaf stoichiometric patterns, morphophysiological traits and water status. The serpentine population had higher values in traits associated with a conservative strategy, such as specific leaf mass, relative water content and leaf thickness, suggesting a potential for better adaptation to future climatic conditions. Soil incubation in the climate chamber showed that trace metal concentrations remained stable, while other physico-chemical properties changed in different ways. Our findings highlight the importance of considering site-specific conditions and integrating more ecosystem indices (geological substrate, edaphic factors, functional plant traits) into climate-driven species distribution models.This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Popović Z, Štrbac S, Kašanin-Grubin M, Ninkov J, Jakšić S, Vidaković V. Refugial habitats of paleoendemic Picea omorika: soil and plant attributes. Sci Total Environ. 2025;1001:180498. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180498
Redox-metabolic reprogramming of mesenteric white adipose tissue during reacclimation of rats exposed to cold
No full textThe morphofunctional plasticity of white adipose tissue (WAT) relies on its metabolic
remodelling in various pathophysiological conditions, which is inextricably linked to redox
homeostasis. Transcription factor Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a
master homeostatic regulator, orchestrating antioxidant response and the expression of
several key metabolic enzymes. However, the role of Nrf2 in WAT remodelling remains
undisclosed. To reveal the role of Nrf2 in establishing redox homeostasis during metabolic reprogramming of visceral WAT, we exposed Mill Hill rats to low temperature (4 ± 1°C) for 45 days and then reacclimated them to room temperature for 1, 3, 7 (early phase), 12, 21 and 45 days (late phase). We analysed the protein levels of Nrf2 in line with protein levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), copper, zinc- (CuZnSOD) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and several key enzymes of glucose and lipid metabolism in mesenteric white adipose tissue depot (mWAT). Our results showed a decrease in hexokinase 2 and unchanged glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase protein levels. This was accompanied by the upregulation of enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis (acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase), β-oxidation (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase), and electron transport chain complexes I and II, as well as the mWAT relative mass restitution during the early phase of reacclimation. This indicates an intensive shift from glucose to lipid metabolism so as to overcome the depletion of lipid reserves during cold exposure. Such changes in metabolic enzymes are synchronized with a transient increase in SODs and Nrf2 protein levels. Conversely, protein levels of UCP1 are reduced in the early phase and gradually restored during the late phase of reacclimation. Such an inverse profile of UCP1 indicates its complementary role with SODs in redox regulation during di erent phases of reacclimation. In summary, our results reveal Nrf2-related redox and metabolic adjustments underlying visceral WAT plasticity in reversible physiological settings
Fractal and Multifractal Analysis as Methods of Quantifying Dendritic Complexity Changes in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model
No full textBackground: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic structure. Objective: The objective was to assess whether fractal and multifractal analyses can sensitively quantify dendritic complexity changes in newly formed dentate gyrus neurons following TBI and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Methods: Adult rats underwent sham surgery with HBO (SHBO), lesion-induced TBI (L), or lesion-induced TBI with HBO (LHBO). Dendritic morphology was evaluated using Euclidean, monofractal, and multifractal metrics. Results: Lesioned animals exhibited marked reductions in dendritic complexity across multiple metrics compared to both HBO-treated groups. HBO treatment partially restored complexity to near-sham levels, with multifractal spectra revealing subtle structural differences between SHBO and LHBO. Conclusions: Fractal and multifractal analyses provide sensitive tools for detecting TBI-induced morphological changes and therapeutic effects. Our findings support HBO as a potential neuroprotective intervention and demonstrate the utility of mathematical modeling in evaluating therapeutic efficacy in neurotrauma
Early pathological changes in the liver and kidney of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice: involvement of iron accumulation and ferroptosis
No full textDisorders of iron metabolism and ferroptosis play an important role in the
development of diabetes and related pathologies. The involvement of ferroptosis
in type 1 diabetes has mainly been investigated in animal models with chemically
induced diabetes. Our aim was to examine the involvement of iron homeostasis
disturbances and ferroptotic events in liver and kidney damage in non-obese
diabetic (NOD) mice in the early phase of spontaneous development of diabetes
(15 days of stable hyperglycemia). We found an accumulation of iron and lipid
peroxides in the proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs) of the renal cortex and in
the liver. This was accompanied by a decrease in the level of proteins involved in the
sequestration (ferritin) and export (ferroportin) of iron and an increase in the level of
transferrin receptor 1 in both organs. The level of activated nuclear factor erythroid
2-related factor 2 was decreased in both liver and kidney, whereas lower levels of
Xc- glutamate/L-cystine antiporter and glutathione peroxidase 4 were detected
only in PTECs, demonstrating the proferroptotic events in these cells. In conclusion,
although iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation occur in both organs, the kidneys
are more susceptible to ferroptosis in early diabetes development