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Supplementary Materials for: Magnesian calcite and dolomite in the Krečana marble (Bukulja–Venčac area, central Serbia): A possible modification for geothermometry application purposes?
No full textThe chemical compositions and formation temperatures of magnesian calcite and dolomite
were estimated by using the combination of chemical analysis, crystallographic parameters,
and a plethora of various diagrams and mathematical calculations. This study presents an
example of the calculated crystallo-chemical formula (Ca0.960Mg0.039Fe0.001)CO3, obtained
from chemical analysis on a representative marble sample from the Bukulja–Venˇcac area
in central Serbia. Substituting CaCO3 with MgCO3 and FeCO3 in dolomite adds approximately
3–5 mol. %, enhancing the classification and indicating that it is more accurately
identified as magnesium-excess dolomite. The estimated formation temperature of magnesian
calcite (1) is approximately 528 ◦C, whereas magnesian calcite (2) forms at about 341 ◦C.
The ~187 ◦C difference corresponds to ~3.28 mol. % MgCO3 (~7.18% dolomite), reflecting
the distinction between magnesian calcite (1) and magnesian calcite (2). Considering the
presence of the submicroscopic intergrowth and exsolution of dolomite within magnesian
calcite (1), which are further subdivided in magnesian calcite (2), the estimated formation
temperature of ~341 ◦C appears to be more realistic. The synthesis of the results suggests
that this combined method could be helpful in the geothermometry of marble samples
after the treatment with acetic acid. However, despite the promising results, additional
experiments are necessary to validate the proposed modified geothermometry approach.Supplementary Material for: Tančić, Pavle, Cvetković, Željko, Jovanić, Ivana, Spahić, Darko, "Magnesian calcite and dolomite in the Krečana marble (Bukulja–Venčac area, central Serbia): A possible modification for geothermometry application purposes?" in Geosciences, 16, no. 1 (2026):35, [https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16010035]Published paper: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9119
In Situ Electrochemical Monitoring of Bacillus cereus Biofilm Formation
No full textUnwanted biofilms pose significant challenges in the food
industry, on medical devices, in water supply systems and marine
environments, and even in space exploration. Label-free, advanced sensing
approaches such as electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) have been
investigated as tools for monitoring biofilm formation. The electrode
material and the surrounding medium, differing in carbon source, ionic
strength, or nutrient availability, can strongly influence bacterial metabolic
activity, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, and
consequently the resulting impedimetric parameters. Here, we report
Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) biofilm formation on gold and indium tin oxide
(ITO) surfaces in two bacterial media that promote biofilm formation. We
characterized the impedance responses of biofilms formed at different time
points after inoculation and demonstrated a direct correlation between
variations in charge transfer resistance and biofilm structure. Non-Faradaic
EIS, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy all indicated that B. cereus exhibited faster biofilm
development on ITO than on gold, possibly due to differences in surface charge or antibacterial effects associated with the
nanostructured gold surface. We demonstrate a strong correlation between EIS measurements and microscopic imaging observations
of early biofilm formation and the extent of biofilm development. This combination of methodologies provides a reliable approach
for detecting and characterizing biofilms, particularly given the high heterogeneity and dynamic behavior of microbial communities
Supporting Information to: "Improving electrochemical aptasensor sensitivity for Bacillus cereus spore detection in food safety applications"
No full textFigure S1. Folded structures for the Apt1, Apt2 and BAS6 aptamers Figure S2. Scanning electron microscopy of B. cereus S51 spores Figure S3. B. cereus spores stained with Textas Red modified aptamers Figure S4. SPGE electrode cleaning with 0.05 M H2SO4 Figure S5. Cyclic Voltammograms recorded in 5 mM ferro/ferricyanide in PBS using SPGEs for each step of electrode functionalization. Figure S6. SEM images of SPGE Figure S7. Spiking Ready-to-Eat salad samples with B. cereus sporesThis is Supporting Information to: Sentic, Milica, Francesco, Rizzotto, Zorica, Novakovic, Aleksandar, Karajic, Brahim, Heddi, Jasmina, Vidic, "Improving electrochemical aptasensor sensitivity for Bacillus cereus spore detection in food safety applications" in Talanta, 299 (2026): 129147, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2025.129147
Comparative Analysis of Ruminant and Equine Milk: Quality Assessment and Potential Benefits for Human Nutrition
No full textMilk is a highly nutritious food and a cornerstone of the human diet, supplying not only essential macronutrients but also a wide range of bioactive compounds with important functional and health-promoting properties. This study presents the first comparative analysis of ruminant (cow, goat, sheep) and equine (mare, jenny) milk samples collected in Serbia, with emphasis on their physicochemical properties, protein profile, redox characteristics, and nutritional potential. Ruminant milk had significantly higher protein concentrations, with cow and sheep milk containing the highest levels of protein. Two equine milks demonstrated a distinctive whey-to-casein protein ratio to ruminants, and a higher content of active sulfhydryl groups, correlating with improved digestibility and functional properties. Antioxidant potential was determined using spectrophotometric and electrochemical methods, confirming superior redox potential in mare’s milk, followed by jenny’s and sheep’s milk. Nutritional properties of milk separated by Principal Component Analysis highlighted species-specific profiles of equine milks as a promising alternative for individuals with an allergy to cow’s milk protein, offering enhanced antioxidant protection, bioactive compounds, and digestibility. These results support the potential of equine milk as a functional food with added value in human nutrition
Potentially Toxic Elements in the Soil of an Urban Area in Croatia: A Multimethodological Approach for the Assessment of Mobility, Environmental and Human Health Risks
No full textThe contamination of soils in the urban area of Zagreb with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) was assessed by predicting
their mobility and evaluating the risk to the environment and human health. Sequential extraction was performed using
the optimized BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) method. The enrichment factor (EF) was calculated to assess soil
contamination. The mobility risk assessment was performed using the risk assessment code (RAC) and the modified risk
assessment code (mRAC). In the mobile fraction, Ca, Sr, and Mg are only weakly bound by carbonate compounds, while
the other elements are strongly bound to the soils. Mn, Pb, Ba, and Cd are bound to oxides, and the least mobile elements
such as Al, As, Co, Fe, Zn, K, Na, Ni, Cr, Sb, Cu and Li occurred mainly in the residual fraction. High extraction efficiency
(above 40%) for Pb, Cd, and Cu was obtained when 0.43 M HNO3 was used for extraction, and this acid is recommended
for analyzing the geochemical reactivity of PTEs. The increased content of Ni, Cu, Cr, and As is accompanied by a high
EF, indicating the existence of anthropogenic sources of these elements. The hazard index (HI) for adults and children
is<1.0, indicating that these PTEs have no significant non-carcinogenic effects on the human body. The cancer risk (CR)
for children is highest for Ni, Cr and As and for adults for Ni. The Monte Carlo simulations show that Cd and As are the
most important risk factors in the soils studied
Supplementary Material for: "Variscan sutures in the Carpathian-Balkan belt revisited: a granitoid perspective on Late Palaeozoic closure of the Rheic Ocean, slab breakoff and tectonic exhumation"
No full textThe integration of available geochronological and geophysical data from the Carpathian-Balkan
basement, along with geochemical data related to the Variscan granitoid-decorated suture, indicates
the presence of subduction-driven collision followed by post-collisional exhumation of the Inner
Carpathian-Balkan (Rheic) suture configuration (ICBRS). The ICBRS as a Variscan crustal amalgamation
(exposed in Serbia) collapsed due to slab breakoff (‘high-temperature’ orogeny) that occurred prior to
the start of the Alpine rifting. The advancing edge of the Lower Palaeozoic north Gondwanan
microcontinent, which includes the Serbo-Macedonian, Supragetic, and Getic-Kučaj nappes (Alpine
basements) together with the attached oceanic lithosphere of Devonian age, was involved in
subduction beneath the Danubian and Moesia (an external promontory of the East European craton).
In contrast, the opposite side of the Carpathian-Balkan microcontinent (western Serbo-Macedonian
Unit) exhibits less frequent granitic activity (Paleotethyan suture). Variscan deformation of ICBRS,
characterized by pre-, syn-, and post-collisional magmatism, involves multiple episodes of granitoid
emplacement spanning from the Late Devonian to the Carboniferous. Variscan-age granitoids extend
along a 200-km-long north-south belt across the Getic/Kučaj and Danubian microcontinents, emerging
through the Carpathian-Balkan fold-and-thrust belt of eastern Serbia (Brnjica, Neresnica,
Gornjane, Plavna, Ravno Bučje, Suvodol, Radičevo, Janja). Devonian lithospheric underplating of
the northern Gondwanan microcontinent led to the formation of the (latest Devonian)
Carboniferous syn-collisional ‘high-temperature’ orogeny, associated with the Inner Carpathian-
Balkan Rheic suture, characterized by modest crustal thickening. The combination of geochemical
and geophysical data, including available regional geological reconstructions illustrating Late
Palaeozoic crustal exhumation processes revolving around the ICBRS. Study further highlights the
overlapping processes of reactivation of the Variscan-Alpine suture zones. However, due to the
interference of Cimmerian and Alpine deformation stages, the mechanisms of crustal exhumation
of lower crustal levels remain increasingly ambiguous, thus being absent from the available literature.Supplementary Material for: Spahić, Darko, Tančić, Pavle, Kurešević, Lidja, Milovanović, Dragan, "Variscan sutures in the Carpathian-Balkan belt revisited: a granitoid perspective on Late Palaeozoic closure of the Rheic Ocean, slab breakoff and tectonic exhumation" in International Geology Review (2026):1-39, [https://doi.org/10.1080/00206814.2025.2607024]Manuscript: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9155]Appendix: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9159
Gamma rays assisted synthesis of N doped-graphene quantum dots from multiwall carbon nanotubes
No full textGamma rays are the powerful tool for top-down synthesis of nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) from multiwall carbon nanotubes. Different doses of gamma rays (100, 200 and 300 kGy) were applied to the multiwall carbon nanotubes suspended in mixture of sulfuric and nitric acid (3:1 ratio). After purification, NGQD were characterized to investigate their structure (morphology, particle size, nanomechanical and nanoelectrical properties, chemical composition, photoluminescence, reactive oxygen species production, antibacterial activity and biocompatibility). Viscoelastic measurements revealed that NGQDs nanoparticles had Young’ modulus of elasticity almost equal to single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs (6,5)). Electrostatic force and scanning tunneling microscopy showed that all types of the NGQDs nanoparticles had negative charge distributed homogeneously. All NGQDs samples produced singlet oxygen and the NGQDs300 sample showed moderate antibacterial activity and good biocompatibility
Electrochemical approaches to glyphosate detection using molecularly imprinted polymer-coated metal-organic frameworks
No full textGlyphosate (GLY) is one of the most commonly used herbicides worldwide. Its widespread use raises significant concerns about public health and ecological integrity, which have led to increased control and oversight of its use, along with a growing demand for rapid and reliable monitoring. This study presents a novel electrochemical sensing platform designed for detecting GLY, utilizing the unique properties of multifunctional rare-earth metal-organic frameworks (RE-MOFs) alongside with the selective recognition capabilities of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology. The composite formed from yttrium-2-aminoterephthalic acid-based MOF and graphene oxide modifies the surface properties of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and serves as a support substrate for the subsequent preparation of the MIP. The crystallinity and flower-like architecture of the resulting composite, were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while charge-transfer properties and conductivity were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The selection of the appropriate MIP for GLY detection was driven by advanced theoretical calculations, that focused on the interactions between diverse functional monomers and GLY. Theoretical determination of the optimal monomer was followed by experimental optimization of the electropolymerization method for the preparation of MIP/MOF sensors. The resulting sensor demonstrated a wide dynamic linear range (1–16 542 nM) and a subnanomolar detection limit (0.42 nM). It exhibited good specificity and an excellent recovery rate in practical applicability for water samples. The obtained results highlight the potential of the proposed sensing platform for environmental monitoring applications
COVID-19 ante portas: Empirical formula, growth reactions and thermodynamic properties of biosynthesis and antigen-receptor binding of the Omicron XFG variant of SARS-CoV-2
No full textNo one walks alone. In 2019, humanity obtained a permanent companion called SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 lives with its human host, adapts to the human host and evolves, in a similar process to that in the human host. The XFG variant is the latest in the sequence of variants that appeared during the process of adaptation. Science has intensively followed the process of evolution of SARS-CoV-2. It was noticed that in accordance with the expectations of the evolution theory, SARS-CoV-2 variants have become less pathogenic and more infective. However, there is a great concern in the general public because of the millions of casualties during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, chemical and thermodynamic characterization was performed: empirical formulas, reactions of biosynthesis, antigen-receptor binding reaction and thermodynamic properties of live matter, biosynthesis and binding were determined, mechanistic model of virus-host interactions was developed and the driving force of biological processes during the life cycle of the virus was determined
Appendix for: "Variscan sutures in the Carpathian-Balkan belt revisited: a granitoid perspective on Late Palaeozoic closure of the Rheic Ocean, slab breakoff and tectonic exhumation"
No full textThe integration of available geochronological and geophysical data from the Carpathian-Balkan
basement, along with geochemical data related to the Variscan granitoid-decorated suture, indicates
the presence of subduction-driven collision followed by post-collisional exhumation of the Inner
Carpathian-Balkan (Rheic) suture configuration (ICBRS). The ICBRS as a Variscan crustal amalgamation
(exposed in Serbia) collapsed due to slab breakoff (‘high-temperature’ orogeny) that occurred prior to
the start of the Alpine rifting. The advancing edge of the Lower Palaeozoic north Gondwanan
microcontinent, which includes the Serbo-Macedonian, Supragetic, and Getic-Kučaj nappes (Alpine
basements) together with the attached oceanic lithosphere of Devonian age, was involved in
subduction beneath the Danubian and Moesia (an external promontory of the East European craton).
In contrast, the opposite side of the Carpathian-Balkan microcontinent (western Serbo-Macedonian
Unit) exhibits less frequent granitic activity (Paleotethyan suture). Variscan deformation of ICBRS,
characterized by pre-, syn-, and post-collisional magmatism, involves multiple episodes of granitoid
emplacement spanning from the Late Devonian to the Carboniferous. Variscan-age granitoids extend
along a 200-km-long north-south belt across the Getic/Kučaj and Danubian microcontinents, emerging
through the Carpathian-Balkan fold-and-thrust belt of eastern Serbia (Brnjica, Neresnica,
Gornjane, Plavna, Ravno Bučje, Suvodol, Radičevo, Janja). Devonian lithospheric underplating of
the northern Gondwanan microcontinent led to the formation of the (latest Devonian)
Carboniferous syn-collisional ‘high-temperature’ orogeny, associated with the Inner Carpathian-
Balkan Rheic suture, characterized by modest crustal thickening. The combination of geochemical
and geophysical data, including available regional geological reconstructions illustrating Late
Palaeozoic crustal exhumation processes revolving around the ICBRS. Study further highlights the
overlapping processes of reactivation of the Variscan-Alpine suture zones. However, due to the
interference of Cimmerian and Alpine deformation stages, the mechanisms of crustal exhumation
of lower crustal levels remain increasingly ambiguous, thus being absent from the available literature.Related to: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9155]Supplementary Material: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9168