Long-term use of etelcalcetide for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage renal failure: a real-life retrospective observational study.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD) or dialysis frequently suffer from secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPTH), a severe complication of mineral metabolism disorders. The calcimimetic etelcalcetide has been approved and shown efficacy in randomized controlled trials, however, data are limited from real-life studies. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term use etelcalcetide for the treatment of sHPTH (PTH > 600 pg/mL) in patients undergoing extracorporeal hemodialysis for ESRD for at least 2 years.

Slaughterline records of various postmortem pathological lesions and their influence on carcass and meat quality in slaughtered pigs.

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of pathological lesions in pigs from small-scale farms and to determine associations between pathological lesions and hematological parameters, and carcass and meat quality in slaughtered pigs. The study was conducted on 625 pigs (~115 kg) originating from 20 small-scale farms. Any signs of pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis, and liver milk spots were recorded as present or absent.

Prebiotic synthesis at impact craters: the role of Fe-clays and iron meteorites.

Besides delivering plausible prebiotic feedstock molecules and high-energy initiators, extraterrestrial impacts could also affect the process of abiogenesis by altering the early Earth's geological environment in which primitive life was conceived. We show that iron-rich smectites formed by reprocessing of basalts due to the residual post-impact heat could catalyze the synthesis and accumulation of important prebiotic building blocks such as nucleobases, amino acids and urea.

Celiac disease-specific and inflammatory bowel disease-related antibodies in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

The etiology of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) remains unknown. RAS can be presented as primary, idiopathic condition and as a secondary RAS, which is associated with a systemic disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence and concentrations of antibodies specific for celiac disease (CeD) and antibodies related to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in patients with RAS without gastrointestinal symptoms.

The efficacy of fluoxetine in BMS-A cross-over study.

Background: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an intraoral burning or dysaesthetic sensation, recurring daily for more than two hours during the period longer than 3 months. The objective was to evaluate and analyse the efficacy of serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine on psychological factors, as well as on pain in participants with BMS.

Methods: In a 6-month study, 100 participants with primary and secondary BMS were divided into two groups-fluoxetine and control (placebo) and examined by the dentist and the neurologist.

Cortisol concentration, pain and sedation scale in free roaming dogs treated with carprofen after ovariohysterectomy.

Background And Aim: One of the topic issues in animal welfare activities is the free roaming dog welfare especially in developing countries such as Serbia. The way of controlling population of free roaming dogs is their reproduction with the method of "Catch-Neuter-Release." This complex process consists of capturing free roaming dogs in public areas, sterilizing, and returning them to the public area from which they were temporarily removed.

Immunoreactivity to food antigens in patients with chronic urticaria.

The goal of study was better understanding of complex immune mechanisms that can help to evaluate patients with chronic urticaria (CU), especially those with unknown etiology. The study involved 55 patients with CU. Control group consisted of up to 90 healthy persons.

TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and CD14 gene polymorphisms associated with oral lichen planus risk.

The aim of this study was to assess whether polymorphisms in toll-like receptor (TLR) and cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) genes are associated with oral lichen planus (OLP) risk and clinical course of the disease. The study group consisted of 101 patients with confirmed OLP and 104 healthy blood donors without systemic or oral mucosal diseases. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of TLR2 (rs3804099), TLR3 (rs3775291 and rs5743312), TLR4 (rs4986790 and rs4986791), and CD14 (rs2569190) genes were genotyped using real-time PCR or PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Good tolerance to goat's milk in patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers with increased immunoreactivity to cow's milk proteins.

Background: Recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) represent a very common, but poorly understood mucosal disorder. The connection between immunity to cow's milk proteins (CMP) and oral diseases was noted earlier. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of the increased levels of serum antibodies to goat's milk proteins (GMP), by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, in subjects who have RAU and proven increased immunity to CMP.

The effect of acid treatment on the structure and surface acidity of tetraalkylammonium-montmorillonites.

The effect of tetrabutylammonium (Bu4N+) and tetrapentylammonium (Pe4N+) cations on the modification of the organo-montmorillonite structure upon acid-treatment was investigated. Samples were treated with HCl for various times (2-12 h). Structural changes were followed by MAS NMR spectroscopy.

The role of specific cow's milk proteins in the etiology of recurrent aphthous ulcers.

Background: Recurrent aphthous ulcerations (RAU), or recurrent aphthous stomatitis, is recognized as one of the most common oral mucosal diseases worldwide. It was noted some connection between immunity to cow's milk proteins (CMP) and oral diseases. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of the increased levels of serum antibodies to specific cow's milk proteins (SCMP), constituents of cheese or of whey, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, in subjects who have RAU.

In vivo three-dimensional photoacoustic imaging based on a clinical matrix array ultrasound probe.

We present an integrated photoacoustic and ultrasonic three-dimensional (3-D) volumetric imaging system based on a two-dimensional (2-D) matrix array ultrasound probe. A wavelength-tunable dye laser pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser serves as the light source and a modified commercial ultrasound imaging system (iU22, Philips Healthcare) with a 2-D array transducer (X7-2, Philips Healthcare) detects both the pulse-echo ultrasound and photoacoustic signals. A multichannel data acquisition system acquires the RF channel data.

Controlled synthesis of carbon-encapsulated copper nanostructures by using smectite clays as nanotemplates.

Rhomboidal and spherical metallic-copper nanostructures were encapsulated within well-formed graphitic shells by using a simple chemical method that involved the catalytic decomposition of acetylene over a copper catalyst that was supported on different smectite clays surfaces by ion-exchange. These metallic-copper nanostructures could be separated from the inorganic support and remained stable for months. The choice of the clay support influenced both the shape and the size of the synthesized Cu nanostructures.

Performance characterization of an integrated ultrasound, photoacoustic, and thermoacoustic imaging system.

We developed a novel trimodality system for human breast imaging by integrating photoacoustic (PA) and thermoacoustic (TA) imaging techniques into a modified commercial ultrasound scanner. Because light was delivered with an optical assembly placed within the microwave antenna, no mechanical switching between the microwave and laser sources was needed. Laser and microwave excitation pulses were interleaved to enable PA and TA data acquisition in parallel at a rate of 10 frames per second.

Performance benchmarks of an array-based hand-held photoacoustic probe adapted from a clinical ultrasound system for non-invasive sentinel lymph node imaging.

Clinical translation of photoacoustic (PA) imaging can be facilitated by integration with commercial ultrasound (US) scanners to enable dual-modality imaging. An array-based US scanner was modified for hand-held PA imaging. The performance was benchmarked in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), axial spatial resolution and sensitivity.

Alterations of the surface and morphology of tetraalkyl-ammonium modified montmorillonites upon acid treatment.

The effect of short alkyl chain cations on the modification of the structure, surface and textural properties of organo-montmorillonites upon their acid treatment was investigated. Samples prepared from Ca-SAz montmorillonite and tetramethylammonium (Me(4)N(+)-), tetraethylammonium (Et(4)N(+)-), tetrapropylammonium (Pr(4)N(+)-) and tetrabutylammonium (Bu(4)N(+)-) salts were treated in 6 M HCl at 80 °C for 2-8 h and analyzed by different methods. Acid treatment of organo-montmorillonites caused gradual release of Al and Mg from the octahedral sheets and destruction of their layered structure.

Effective dose estimation and lifetime cancer mortality risk assessment from exposure to Chernobyl 137Cs on the territory of Belgrade City and the region of Vojvodina, Serbia.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the activity concentrations of radionuclide (137)Cs in soil samples on the territory of Belgrade and the province of Vojvodina. Also, the lifetime cancer mortality risk from external exposure during 1 year is assessed, and the effective dose is estimated.

Methods: Eighty eight soil samples were collected from 30 uncultivated locations in Belgrade, and 30 soil samples were collected from 10 locations in the province of Vojvodina.

Spectral properties of rhodamine 6G in smectite dispersions: effect of the monovalent cations.

Montmorillonite monoionic forms with alkali metal and NH(4)(+)-cations were prepared by ion exchange. The hydration properties and binding of the ions to montmorillonite surface and the swelling properties of the mineral specimens were analyzed. Whereas Na(+)- and Li(+)-ions were fully hydrated over a large range of conditions, large size K(+), NH(4)(+), and mainly Rb(+) and Cs(+) ions were apt to bind directly to the oxygen atoms on the mineral surface.

Deeply penetrating in vivo photoacoustic imaging using a clinical ultrasound array system.

Using a hand-held photoacoustic probe integrated with a clinical ultrasound array system, we successfully imaged objects deeply positioned in biological tissues. The optical contrasts were enhanced by methylene blue with a concentration of ~30 mM. The penetration depth reached ~5.

Oral health status of psychiatric in-patients in Serbia and implications for their dental care.

Aim: To determine oral health status and identify predictors of oral health in a representative sample of psychiatric in-patients in Serbia.

Methods: The study included 186 psychiatric in-patients and 186 control participants without psychiatric illness matched to the study group by age, sex, marital status, education level, employment, and monthly income. Dental examinations were done in both groups to measure the following indices of oral health: decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index; community periodontal index; and plaque index.

Oral status in patients receiving 5-fluorouracil for colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Oral complications are frequent and troublesome symptoms for those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Several antineoplastic agents are proved to have stomatotoxic potential, among them 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the oral status and patient experiences during chemotherapy with 5-FU for colorectal cancer.

Synthesis and characterization of low dimensional ZnS- and PbS-semiconductor particles on a montmorillonite template.

Low dimensional metal sulfide particles have been prepared in the interlayers of montmorillonites via reactions of the metal ion-exchanged clay minerals in aqueous dispersions with gaseous hydrogen sulfide. The montmorillonites separated from the Wyoming (USA) and Jelšový Potok (Slovakia) bentonites were saturated with Pb(2+) or Zn(2+). In the final nanohybrids, the smectite mineral can be incorporated with metal sulfide pillars and/or nanoparticles.

Handheld array-based photoacoustic probe for guiding needle biopsy of sentinel lymph nodes.

By modifying a clinical ultrasound array system, we develop a novel handheld photoacoustic probe for image-guided needle biopsy. The integration of optical fiber bundles for pulsed laser light delivery enables photoacoustic image-guided insertion of a needle into rat axillary lymph nodes with accumulated indocyanine green (ICG). Strong photoacoustic contrast of the needle is achieved.