Benthic Diatom Blooms of Blue spp. in the Mediterranean Sea.

Blue species are marine benthic pennate diatoms able to synthesize a blue-green water-soluble pigment, like marennine produced by Simonsen. New species of synthetizing blue pigments were recently described (, , and ). Their marennine-like pigments have allelopathic, antioxidative, antiviral and antibacterial properties, which have been demonstrated in laboratory conditions.

Amphiphilic Poly(vinyl alcohol) Membranes Leaving Out Chemical Cross-Linkers: Design, Synthesis, and Function of Tailor-Made Poly(vinyl alcohol)-b-poly(styrene) Copolymers.

Tailor-made poly(vinyl alcohol)-b-poly(styrene) copolymers (PVA-b-PS) for separation membranes are synthesized by the combination of reversible-deactivation radical polymerization techniques. The special features of these di-block copolymers are the high molecular weight (>70 kDa), the high PVA content (>80 wt%), and the good film-forming property. They are soluble only in hot dimethyl sulfoxide, but by the "solvent-switch" technique, they self-assemble in aqueous media to form micelles.

Biodiversity of carapace epibiont diatoms in loggerhead sea turtles ( Linnaeus 1758) in the Aegean Sea Turkish coast.

Background: The Aegean Sea coast of Turkey hosts one of the most important nesting grounds for loggerhead sea turtles () in the Mediterranean Sea. Previous studies have revealed that the sea turtle carapace provides favourable conditions for various epibiontic organisms. Epibionts occurring on the carapace have been examined from different locations in the oceans.

Complete chloroplast genome of the tiny marine diatom (Bacillariophyta) from the Adriatic Sea.

We report the chloroplast genome sequence of , a tiny araphid pennate diatom collected from the Adriatic Sea. The 160,994-bp . genome displays a quadripartite structure and its gene repertoire resembles those of other diatom chloroplast genomes.

pH-Triggered Membrane in Pervaporation Process.

Dehydration of binary methyl acetate-water mixtures under neutral, acidic, and basic conditions was carried out by using PERVAP composite membranes based on polyvinyl alcohol and poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone--2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) P(VP--DMAEMA). The effects of an acid (HCl) and a base (NaOH) on the separation performance of the membrane during the pervaporation process were investigated. The pH-responsive nature of membranes has been confirmed by swelling tests and analysis of the chemical structure of polymeric membranes.

Rare Abdominal Wall Malformation: Case Report of Umbilical Cord Hernia.

The umbilical cord hernia is the rarest form of abdominal wall malformations, anatomically completely different from gastroschisis and omphalocele. It occurs due to the permanent physiological evisceration of abdominal organs into umbilical celom and persistence of a patent umbilical ring. The umbilical cord hernia is often mistaken for omphalocele and called "small omphalocele".

Biomimetic Strategy To Reversibly Trigger Functionality of Catalytic Nanocompartments by the Insertion of pH-Responsive Biovalves.

We describe an innovative strategy to generate catalytic compartments with triggered functionality at the nanoscale level by combining pH-reversible biovalves and enzyme-loaded synthetic compartments. The biovalve has been engineered by the attachment of stimuli-responsive peptides to a genetically modified channel porin, enabling a reversible change of the molecular flow through the pores of the porin in response to a pH change in the local environment. The biovalve functionality triggers the reaction inside the cavity of the enzyme-loaded compartments by switching the in situ activity of the enzymes on/off based on a reversible change of the permeability of the membrane, which blocks or allows the passage of substrates and products.

Diagnostic value of selected biochemical markers in the detection of recurrence of medullary thyroid cancer - comparison of calcitonin, procalcitonin, chromogranin A, and carcinoembryonic antigen.

Introduction: Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a malignancy of the thyroid gland, which derives from parafollicular C cells. Periodic measurement of biochemical markers of MTC remains a crucial part of patient follow-up and disease monitoring. The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic value of four selected markers - calcitonin (Ct), procalcitonin (PCT), chromogranin A (CgA), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).

Investigation of Horseradish Peroxidase Kinetics in an "Organelle-Like" Environment.

In order to mimic cell organelles, artificial nanoreactors have been investigated based on polymeric vesicles with reconstituted channel proteins (outer membrane protein F) and coencapsulated enzymes horseradish peroxidase (HRP) along with a crowding agent (Ficoll or polyethylene glycol) inside the cavity. Importantly, the presence of macromolecules has a strong impact on the enzyme kinetics, but no influence on the integrity of vesicles up to certain concentrations. This particular design allows for the first time the determination of HRP kinetics inside nanoreactors with crowded milieu.

Risk of malignant neoplasms in acromegaly: a case-control study.

Purpose: Acromegaly is a chronic disease resulting from pathological oversecretion of growth hormone and subsequently insulin growth factor-1. Several complications of the disease have been reported, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders but also increased risk of benign and malignant neoplasms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of malignant neoplasms in the patients with acromegaly in comparison with the control group.

Artificial Organelles: Reactions inside Protein-Polymer Supramolecular Assemblies.

Reactions inside confined compartments at the nanoscale represent an essential step in the development of complex multifunctional systems to serve as molecular factories. In this respect, the biomimetic approach of combining biomolecules (proteins, enzymes, mimics) with synthetic membranes is an elegant way to create functional nanoreactors, or even simple artificial organelles, that function inside cells after uptake. Functionality is provided by the specificity of the biomolecule(s), whilst the synthetic compartment provides mechanical stability and robustness.

Bioinspired polymer vesicles and membranes for biological and medical applications.

Biological membranes play an essential role in living organisms by providing stable and functional compartments, preserving cell architecture, whilst supporting signalling and selective transport that are mediated by a variety of proteins embedded in the membrane. However, mimicking cell membranes - to be applied in artificial systems - is very challenging because of the vast complexity of biological structures. In this respect a highly promising strategy to designing multifunctional hybrid materials/systems is to combine biological molecules with polymer membranes or to design membranes with intrinsic stimuli-responsive properties.

pH-responsive PDMS-b-PDMAEMA micelles for intracellular anticancer drug delivery.

A series of poly(dimethysiloxane)-b-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMS-b-PDMAEMA) block copolymers were synthesized with atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). In aqueous solution the polymers self-assembled into micelles with diameters between 80 and 300 nm, with the ability to encapsulate DOX. The polymer with the shortest PDMAEMA block (5 units) displayed excellent cell viability, while micelles containing longer PDMAEMA block lengths (13 and 22 units) led to increased cytotoxicity.

Conserved DNA Motifs, Including the CENP-B Box-like, Are Possible Promoters of Satellite DNA Array Rearrangements in Nematodes.

Tandemly arrayed non-coding sequences or satellite DNAs (satDNAs) are rapidly evolving segments of eukaryotic genomes, including the centromere, and may raise a genetic barrier that leads to speciation. However, determinants and mechanisms of satDNA sequence dynamics are only partially understood. Sequence analyses of a library of five satDNAs common to the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M.

NGlycolylGM3/VSSP Vaccine in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients: Results of Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial.

Patients treated with vaccines based on NGlycolil gangliosides have showed benefit in progression free survival and overall survival. These molecules, which have been observed in breast cancer cells, are minimally or not expressed in normal human tissue and have been considered as antigen tumor-specific. For this reason they are very attractive to immunotherapy.

A 10-year experience in the treatment of intraabdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess a ten-year experience in the treatment of rare complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunting--intraabdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts. At this time there are no data about incidence, clinical course and treatment of these complications in Croatia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abdominal pseudocyst is an uncommon but important complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

Stenosis of the small intestine after reduction of strangulated Littre hernia in an infant.

Herniation and incarceration of a Meckel's diverticulum in a hernial sac-Littre hernia-is a relatively uncommon surgical emergency. Segmental stenosis of small intestine after hernia reduction and consecutive intestinal obstruction is a similarly rare emergency. The combination of both these disorders is extremely uncommon at any age and especially during infancy.

[Laparoscopic decapsulation of congenital splenic cyst].

Nonparasitic splenic cysts are uncommon and may be congenital or post-traumatic in origin. Complications may include enlargement with pain, rupture, and infection. The laparoscopy is widely accepted method in the treatment of this condition with numerous approaches.

Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracellular accumulation of SPARC - a hypothesis (SPARC in nasopharyngeal angiofibroma).

Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a histologically benign tumor composed of stroma and vessels. The vascular component of the lesion is prone to bleeding and responsible for its clinical "malignancy". Some nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are resistant to surgical therapy because of extensive growth and occasionally bone destruction.

Hirschsprung's disease and Rehbein's procedure--our results in the last 30 years.

Hirschsprung's disease is congenital anomaly of the intestine and Harald Hirschsprung gave the first description of this disease'. The aim of this follow-up study was to evaluate the results of Rehbein's procedure in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease in the last 30 years in Children's Hospital Zagreb. Hirschsprung's disease is congenital intestinal aganglionosis as the results of arrested fetal development of the myenteric nervous system.

Dietary habits and folate status in women of childbearing age in Croatia.

Folic acid and folates have an important role in prevention of neural tube defect that appears in the first weeks of pregnancy, when women are still not aware of their pregnancy, especially when pregnancy is not planned. Since ensuring sufficient quantities of folates and folic acid in this period is essential, dietary habits of childbearing age women are very important. In line with that the intake of folates and folic acid in nutrition of women age group 20-30 years is examined, as well as the frequency of consumption of foodstuffs rich in vitamins and folic acid supplements.

XRad17 is required for the activation of XChk1 but not XCds1 during checkpoint signaling in Xenopus.

The DNA damage/replication checkpoints act by sensing the presence of damaged DNA or stalled replication forks and initiate signaling pathways that arrest cell cycle progression. Here we report the cloning and characterization of Xenopus orthologues of the RFCand PCNA-related checkpoint proteins. XRad17 shares regions of homology with the five subunits of Replication factor C.

Serum sialic acid in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients.

Several general population studies and those carried out in diabetic patients with complications have pointed to serum sialic acid as a marker of inflammation in atherosclerosis. In this study we examined whether total sialic acid (TSA) was changed in the sera of 28 newly diagnosed subjects with type 2 diabetes (type 2 DM), 47 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 72 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). The associations between sialic acid and other atherosclerotic risk factors such as lipid profile, baseline diene conjugates in low-density lipoproteins (LDL-BDC) and fasting insulin were also investigated.

Baseline diene conjugation in LDL lipids from newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients.

Background: To determine whether the susceptibility of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) to oxidation was altered in subjects with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance using the measurement of LDL baseline diene conjugation (LDL-BDC) as an indicator of circulating mildly oxidized LDL in vivo.

Methods: LDL was isolated from sera of 26 newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM), 43 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 67 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), who were matched for age, gender, body mass index and serum lipids. Twenty-seven healthy subjects with normal body mass index and normal values of lipids served as a control group.