Clinical diagnosis of early melanoma (Breslow thickness less than 0.8 mm) is crucial to disease-free survival. However, it is subjective and can be exceedingly difficult, leading to missed melanomas, or unnecessary excision of benign pigmented skin lesions. An objective technique is needed to improve the diagnosis of early melanoma. We have developed a method to improve diagnosis of (thin) melanoma, based on Raman spectroscopy. In an ex vivo study in a tertiary referral (pigmented lesions) centre, high-wavenumber Raman spectra were collected from 174 freshly excised melanocytic lesions suspicious for melanoma. Measurements were performed on multiple locations within the lesions. A diagnostic model was developed and validated on an independent data set of 96 lesions. Approximately 60% of the melanomas included in this study were melanomas in situ. The invasive melanomas had an average Breslow thickness of 0.89 mm. The diagnostic model correctly classified all melanomas (including in situ) with a specificity of 43.8%, and showed a potential improvement of the number needed to treat from 6.0 to 2.7, at a sensitivity of 100%. This work signifies an important step towards accurate and objective clinical diagnosis of melanoma and in particular melanoma with Breslow thickness <0.8 mm.

Intelligence is a core construct of individual differences in cognitive abilities and a strong predictor of important life outcomes. Within recent years, rates of cesarean section have substantially increased globally, though little is known about its effect on neurodevelopmental trajectories. Thus, we aimed to investigate the influence of delivery by cesarean section on the genetics of intelligence in children.

Abstract Despite economic importance of Tetranychidae, knowledge regarding diversity of spider mites in the Balkan Peninsula and Southeast Europe is incomplete, especially in protected natural areas. This study presents diversity of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) collected over five growing seasons at 296 locations in 38 protected natural areas of Serbia. A total of 31 spider mite species were found, 10 from Bryobiinae and 21 from Tetranychinae. The species Eotetranychus fagi Zacher was recorded as new to Serbia and this record was also the first one for Southeast Europe. Spider mites were found on host plants in five basic types as well as many subtypes of terrestrial habitats, with woodland as the most dominant one. A total of 151 plant species from 44 families were recorded as hosts for spider mites including new world records: 60 new hosts for family Tetranychidae and 41 new hosts for 21 spider mite species. Host plants from Rosaceae family harbored the highest number of spider mite species (16). A considerable number of species was found on host plants from the families Betulaceae (11), Asteraceae (10) and Sapindaceae (10). Two cosmopolitan spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch and Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov & Nikolskii, were clearly distinguished with 67 (7 new) and 43 (13 new) recorded host species, respectively; among newly recorded hosts for Tetranychidae family, these two mite species were found on 27 and 12 hosts, respectively. After the two most common species, the most striking was the presence of Bryobia praetiosa Koch with 24 (4 new) recorded host plants, followed by Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher), Eotetranychus carpini (Oudemans) and Bryobia rubrioculus(Scheuten), with 21 (7 new), 20 (6 new) and 16 (2 new) hosts, respectively. The remaining tetranychids were found on 1–9 host plant species. This study provided the first insight into diversity of tetranychids in Serbian protected areas. Further research in this field should focus on mites from host plants representative of specific areas and habitats, including endangered, endemic and relict species.

Conference Report: Izvještaj sa Međunarodne naučne konferencije “ZNAMENITE LIČNOSTI U HISTORIJI BOSNE I HERCEGOVINE”, Tuzla, 16. – 17. novembar 2017. godine

SUMMARY Hippo signaling has been recognized as a key tumor suppressor pathway. Here, we perform a comprehensive molecular characterization of 19 Hippo core genes in 9,125 tumor samples across 33 cancer types using multidimensional “omic” data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We identify somatic drivers among Hippo genes and the related microRNA (miRNA) regulators, and using functional genomic approaches, we experimentally characterize YAP and TAZ mutation effects and miR-590 and miR-200a regulation for TAZ. Hippo pathway activity is best characterized by a YAP/TAZ transcriptional target signature of 22 genes, which shows robust prognostic power across cancer types. Our elastic-net integrated modeling further reveals cancer-type-specific pathway regulators and associated cancer drivers. Our results highlight the importance of Hippo signaling in squamous cell cancers, characterized by frequent amplification of YAP/TAZ, high expression heterogeneity, and significant prognostic patterns. This study represents a systems-biology approach to characterizing key cancer signaling pathways in the post-genomic era.

A century of debates on the taxonomy of members of the Metastrongyloidea Molin, 1861 led to many reclassifications. Considering the inconstant genus assignation and lack of genetic data, the main aim of this study was to support the validity of the genus Perostrongylus Schlegel, 1934, previously considered a synonym of Aelurostrongylus Cameron, 1927, based on new molecular phylogenetic data and to understand its evolutionary relationships with other metastrongyloid nematodes. Specimens of lungworm collected from European badgers in Germany, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina were morphologically and molecularly (rDNA, cox1) characterized. From a phylogenetic standpoint, Perostrongylus is grouped with high support together with the genera Filaroides van Beneden, 1858 and Parafilaroides Dougherty, 1946 and includes probably two species: Perostrongylus falciformis (Schlegel, 1933), a parasite of Meles meles in Europe and P. pridhami (Anderson, 1962), a parasite of Neovison vison in North America. Perostrongylus and Aelurostrongylus are assigned to different clades. Aelurostrongylus becomes a monotypic genus, with the only species Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Railliet, 1898). In addition, we provide morphological and morphometric data for the first-stage (L1), second-stage (L2), and third-stage (L3) larvae of P. falciformis and describe their development in experimentally infected Cornu aspersum snails. The pathological and histopathological lesions in lungs of infected European badgers are also described. This is the first record of P. falciformis in Romania. Molecular phylogenetic and morphological data support the validity of the genus Perostrongylus, most probably with two species, P. falciformis in European badgers and P. pridhami in minks in North America. The two genera clearly belong to two different clades: Perostrongylus is grouped together with the genera Filaroides and Parafilaroides (both in the family Filaroididae Schulz, 1951), whereas Aelurostrongylus belongs to a clade with no sister groups.

Abstract Innovation holds the potential for economic prosperity. Biotechnology (BT) has proved to be a viable vehicle for the development and utilization of technologies, which has brought not only advances to society, but also career opportunities to nation-states that have enabling conditions. In this review, we assess the current state of BT-related activities within selected new and preaccession EU countries (NPA) of CEE region namely Croatia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, examining educational programs, research activity, enterprises, and the financing systems. The field of BT covers a broad area of activities, including medical, food and agriculture, aquaculture or marine, environmental, biofuels, bioinformatics, and many others. Under the European Commission (EC), member-states are to set their Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialization (RIS3), to identify priorities or strengths in order to develop knowledge intensive economies. As the four countries highlighted in this review are in the early stages of implementing RIS3 or have not yet fully formulated, it presents an opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of those that have already received major structural funds from the EC. A critical point will be the ability of the public and private sectors’ actors to align, in the implementation of RIS3 as new investment instruments emerge, and to concentrate efforts on a few select target goals, rather than distribute funding widely without respect to a long-term vision.