X-ray Powder Diffraction and Supervised Self-Ogranizing Maps as Tools for Forensic Classification of Soils.

Due to its transferability, the soil has been commonly used as evidence in criminal investigations. In this work, 172 soil samples taken from five urban parks from the town of Tetovo (North Macedonia) and from additional four rural locations in its vicinity. The soil samples were examined using X-ray powder diffraction.

Anesthetic Chalenges And Managment In Patient With Ataxia- Telangiectasia.

Louis-Bar Syndrome is a synonym for a very rare complex neurodegenerative disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). This is an autosomal recessive inherited disease that encompasses abnormalities in the cerebellum, multisystem degeneration, immunodeficiency, increased risk for malignancy and consecutive respiratory insufficiency. Most of the patients are radiosensitive and any exposing to ionization may lead to progression of the disease.

The impact of the comorbid seizure/epilepsy on the health related quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis: an international multicentric study.

Introduction: The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with (Pw) multiple sclerosis (MS) is usually deteriorated. It has been recently suggested that comorbidities may have the negative influence on the quality of life of the PwMS, but according to the best of our knowledge, only one study investigated, although in a very small cohort, the impact of individual comorbidity on the quality of life of PwMS. The aim of our investigation was to assess, in an international, multicentric study, the impact of comorbid seizure/epilepsy on the HRQoL in PwMS.

Fractures in people with epilepsy: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the age, gender, and site-specific prevalence of fractures in people with epilepsy (PWE) and matched general population comparators in a nationwide study in North Macedonia between 2015 and 2018.

Methods: PWE and matched controls were selected through a systematic search of the electronic National Health System (eNHS). We determined the period prevalence (PP) of all site-specific fractures.

Patient-reported health-related quality of life after colorectal surgery.

<b>Introduction:</b> Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. In most of these patients, quality of life is deteriorated. </br></br> <b>Aim:</b> The aim of our study was to analyze how the disease affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to examine the role of demographic, disease-related, and other factors in the overall quality of life.

Prevalence of various risk factors associated with new-onset epilepsy after the age of 50: a retrospective population-based study.

Population-based studies of epilepsy risk factors are rare. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of various risk factors associated with new-onset epilepsy after the age of 50 years. We included all incident cases in North Macedonia between 2015 and 2018.

Risk factors associated with new-onset epilepsy in young adults: Population-based study.

Objective: Risk factors for childhood and late-onset epilepsy are thoroughly described in existing literature, while they are less defined and ambiguous for young adults. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of various risk factors associated with new-onset epilepsy in adults aged 20-49 years. We included all incident cases in North Macedonia between 2015 and 2018.

Incidence and prevalence of epilepsy in the Republic of North Macedonia: Data from nationwide integrated health care platform.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and period prevalence of epilepsy in the Republic of North Macedonia, an upper-middle-income country with universal access to healthcare, based on a nationwide healthcare platform (NHP).

Methods: NHP contains reports from all inpatient and outpatient medical encounters and procedures, and all electronic medical records are linked together with a unique patient number. We performed the analysis of the data maintained at the Macedonian Ministry of Health, concerning the five years of the study (2014 through 2018).

Patients' attitude toward AED withdrawal: A survey among individuals who had been seizure-free for over 2 years.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of seizure-free patients toward the antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal and to highlight the factors that affect their perspectives.

Methods: The study participants were recruited among the individuals attending the epilepsy outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Skopje between January 2018 and April 2019. Patients with epilepsy who had been seizure-free for at least 2 years on stable monotherapy were included.

Hypernatremia-induced Neurologic Complications After Hepatic Hydatid Cyst Surgery: Pretreat to Prevent.

Introduction: Surgery is effective treatment for echinococcosis; however, there is a risk of hypertonic saline resorption and acute hypernatremia.

Aim: We report two cases of severe hypernatremia following hydatid cyst removal.

Case Reports: A 17-year-old girl underwent surgical removal of hepatic hydatid cyst.

Widespread frontal lobe cortical dysplasia or partial hemimegalencephaly: a continuum of the spectrum.

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type II and hemimegalencephaly (HME) are currently considered as a continuum of pathology, the most important distinction being the extent or the size/volume of the lesion. While partial HME involving the posterior cortex has been well described, we present an unusual case with a dysplastic lesion of the whole frontal lobe. A 17-year-old boy had focal seizures from the age of nine years.

Evaluation of Genotype and Vascular Risk Factors As Prognostic and Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease and Their Influence On Age of Symptoms Onset.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is evolving to become a threatening epidemy of the 21 century. Only 21% of the predicted number of AD patients in Macedonia have been diagnosed and treated, which means that almost 80% are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Apolipoprotein E gene () is recognised as the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic AD.

Levetiracetam-Induced Seizure Aggravation in Patients With Focal Cortical Dysplasia.

Objectives: The choice of antiepileptic drug is typically based on seizure type, and there is no evidence for superior effectiveness or potential deterioration of particular antiepileptic drug in specific etiologic subgroups. The aim of the study was to identify etiological factor(s) associated with increased risk of seizure aggravation with levetiracetam (LEV).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 139 patients treated with LEV was performed.

Myasthenia Gravis and Associated Diseases.

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease caused by the action of specific antibodies to the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction, leading to impaired neuromuscular transmission. Patients with MG have an increased incidence of other autoimmune diseases.

Aim: to determine the presence of other associated diseases in patients with MG.

Phenotypic spectrum in families with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy probands.

Purpose: The traditional perception of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) as a predominantly acquired disorder is challenged due to emerging evidence of familial aggregation. In this study, we ascertained the extent of familial occurrence of epilepsy in MTLE patients, as well as phenotypic heterogeneity in affected relatives.

Methods: We identified and reevaluated patients with MTLE, treated at Epilepsy Department for a period of two years.

Rhabdomyolysis in Critically Ill Surgical Patients.

Introduction: Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome of injury of skeletal muscles associated with myoglobinuria, muscle weakness, electrolyte imbalance and often, acute kidney injury as severe complication.

The Aim: of this study is to detect the incidence of rhabdomyolysis in critically ill patients in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU), and to raise awareness of this medical condition and its treatment among the clinicians.

Material And Methods: A retrospective review of all surgical and trauma patients admitted to surgical ICU of the University Surgical Clinic "Mother Teresa" in Skopje, Macedonia, from January 1 till December 31 2015 was performed.

Seizure outcome following medical treatment of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: Clinical phenotypes and prognostic factors.

Objective: Surveys on mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) repeatedly demonstrate that seizures are commonly resistant to antiepileptic drugs (AED), but patients usually came from third-level epilepsy centers, making the medically refractory population larger. The aim of our study is to evaluate patterns of seizure control and prognostic factors of general population of MTLE patients observed in clinical practice.

Methods: Sixty five MTLE patients were evaluated for demographic data, family history, febrile convulsions, detailed descriptions of auras and seizures, presence of secondarily generalized seizures, age at seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, epileptiform discharges in EEG, neuroradiological findings and AED schedules with therapeutic response.

Application of Counter-propagation Artificial Neural Networks in Prediction of Topiramate Concentration in Patients with Epilepsy.

Purpose: The application of artificial neural networks in the pharmaceutical sciences is broad, ranging from drug discovery to clinical pharmacy. In this study, we explored the applicability of counter-propagation artificial neural networks (CPANNs), combined with genetic algorithm (GA) for prediction of topiramate (TPM) serum levels based on identified factors important for its prediction.

Methods: The study was performed on 118 TPM measurements obtained from 78 adult epileptic patients.

Development of models for prediction of the antioxidant activity of derivatives of natural compounds.

Antioxidants are important for maintaining the appropriate balance between oxidizing and reducing species in the body and thus preventing oxidative stress. Many natural compounds are being screened for their possible antioxidant activity. It was found that a mushroom pigment Norbadione A, which is a pulvinic acid derivative, shows an antioxidant activity; the same was found for other pulvinic acid derivatives and structurally related coumarines.

Clinical genetic study in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Purpose: To evaluate clinical features of probands with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and affected members of their families in order to study clinical genetics of JME.

Method: Thirteen unrelated families with at least two members with history of seizures were identified; clinical and genealogic data were collected from JME probands and family members.

Results: All probands had myoclonic and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), while absences occurred in 25% of them.

Brief communication of assessment of clinical practice regarding pharmacological treatment of epilepsy: a survey of neurologists in Republic of Macedonia.

A questionnaire of 15 items was developed in order to evaluate clinical practice regarding pharmacological treatment of epilepsy among adult neurologists in R. Macedonia. It was mailed to 30 practising neurologists, 24 answered (80%).

Prediction of aqueous solubility of drug-like molecules using a novel algorithm for automatic adjustment of relative importance of descriptors implemented in counter-propagation artificial neural networks.

In this work, we present a novel approach for the development of models for prediction of aqueous solubility, based on the implementation of an algorithm for the automatic adjustment of descriptor's relative importance (AARI) in counter-propagation artificial neural networks (CPANN). Using this approach, the interpretability of the models based on artificial neural networks, which are traditionally considered as "black box" models, was significantly improved. For the development of the model, a data set consisting of 374 diverse drug-like molecules, divided into training (n=280) and test (n=94) sets using self-organizing maps, was used.