Citric Acid Cross-Linked Gelatin-Based Composites with Improved Microhardness.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of cross-linking and reinforcements in gelatin on the physico-mechanical properties of obtained composites. The gelatin-based composites cross-linked with citric acid (CA) were prepared: gelatin type B (GB) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and novel hybrid composite GB with β-TCP and hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles, and their structure, thermal, and mechanical properties were compared with pure gelatin B samples. FTIR analysis revealed that no chemical interaction between the reinforcements and gelatin matrix was established during the processing of hybrid composites by the solution casting method, proving the particles had no influence on GB cross-linking.

Influence of Novel SrTiO/MnO Hybrid Nanoparticles on Poly(methyl methacrylate) Thermal and Mechanical Behavior.

While dental poly methyl methacrylate(PMMA) possesses distinctive qualities such as ease of fabrication, cost-effectiveness, and favorable physical and mechanical properties, these attributes alone are inadequate to impart the necessary impact strength and hardness. Consequently, pure PMMA is less suitable for dental applications. This research focused on the incorporation of Strontium titanate (SrTiO-STO) and hybrid filler STO/Manganese oxide (MnO) to improve impact resistance and hardness.

The Influence of Tobacco Use on Pulmonary Function in Elite Athletes.

Objective: We sought to investigate the prevalence of smoking and lung function in the large cohort of elite athletes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 804 athletes competing at international level who were consecutively examined from January to December 2017. Elite athletes were classified in four groups of sport disciplines (skill, power, endurance and mixed): skill (n = 141), power (n = 107), endurance (n = 105) and mixed sport disciplines (n = 451).

Acute Suppurative Thyroiditis with Thyroid Abscess and Bilateral Pneumonia: A Case Report.

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) leading to thyroid abscess is a rare clinical entity. The aim of this article is to demonstrate a case of severe bilateral pneumonia which originated from a thyroid abscess. The authors report the case of a 57-year-old woman with severe bilateral pneumonia of thyroid origin.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with multifocal/multicentric and unifocal breast cancer.

Purpose: The clinical behavior and outcome of multifocal (MF) and multicentric (MC) breast tumors are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to compare the prognosis of MF/MC tumors with unifocal (UF)tumors and its correlation with other pathological characteristics and patient outcomes.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with MC/MF breast cancer and 501 with UF breast cancer treated at the Surgical Clinic Nis were studied.

Correlation between the season, temperature and atmospheric pressure with incidence and pathogenesis of acute appendicitis.

Introduction: There is very little literature data on the correlation between the seasons, temperature and atmospheric pressure, and pathogenesis of acute appendicitis (AA).

Objective: The aim of this research is to investigate the association between the seasons, changes in atmospheric temperature and pressure, and patients’ age and severity of the clinical form of AA in the city of Niš

Methods: This study included 395 patients diagnosed with AA, who, during the two-year period, from July 1st 2011 to June 30th 2013, were hospitalized and operated on at the Department of General Surgery, Clinical Center in Niš, Serbia.

Results: The increased average daily values of barometric pressure by 1 millibar on the day when the event took place was associated (p < 0.

The correlation between parental education and their knowledge of asthma.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of parental education on the success of Asthma Educational Intervention (AEI).

Methods: AEI took place after the children's hospitalisation. Parental asthma knowledge was assessed at three time points: before AEI, immediately after, and 12 months later.

Proteomic studies in endemic nephropathy.

Endemic nephropathy (EN) is a chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy with an early insidious and slow development into terminal renal failure. Proteomics is the systematic study of a proteome, which is the total protein content of a cell, organism or body fluids. Application of proteomic technologies in nephrology has enabled more detailed analyses of protein functions and examined their importance in various physiological and pathological states.

Presentation of pericardial hydatid cyst as acute cardiac tamponade.

We report a case of a 47-year-old man with isolated pericardial hydatid cyst (without myocardial involvement) that presented as acute pericardial tamponade. After initial investigation and transthoracic echocardiography, emergent pericardial drainage was performed for downgrading the urgency of a definitive treatment for a hydatid cyst. A computed tomography examination after the pericardial drainage showed a pericardial cyst without heart muscle involvement, making the treatment possible through anterior thoracotomy and without performing cardiopulmonary bypass.

The comparison of chronic hepatitis C treatment outcome between intravenous drug users and non-intravenous drug users.

Unlabelled: Despite the fact that the majority of prevalent and incident cases of HCV are associated with intravenous drug use (IVDU), these patients have largely been excluded from HCV care. The aim of this study was to examine the treatment outcome of chronic hepatitis C in IVDUs compared to non-IVDUs.

Patients And Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) who initiated and completed combination antiviral therapy with pegilated interferon and ribavirin, at the Hepatology Department of the University Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Belgrade, were retrospectively analyzed.

Cellulose membranes are more effective in holding back vital proteins and exhibit less interaction with plasma proteins during hemodialysis.

The vast majority of patients with end-stage renal disease are treated with intermittent hemodialysis as a form of renal replacement therapy. To investigate the impact of hemodialysis membrane material on vital protein removal, dialysates from 26 well-characterized hemodialysis patients were collected 5 min after beginning, during 5h of treatment, as well as 5 min before ending of the dialysis sessions. Dialysis sessions were performed using either modified cellulose (n=12) (low-flux and high flux) or synthetic Polyflux (n=14) (low-flux and high-flux) dialyzer.

[Antiviral/immunomodulatory combination therapy: pegylated interferon alpha 2a and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection].

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can progress to liver cirrhosis that causes bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, liver failure and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Use of standard therapeutic option consists of recombinant pegylated interferon alpha 2a/b with ribavirin in order to eradicate virus and prevent complications.

Objective: The aim of investigation was to evaluate efficiency of combination therapy (pegylated interferon alpha 2a/b plus ribavirin) in patients with chronic HCV infection and to estimate predictive factors for successful treatment.

Incarcerated inguinal hernias surgical treatment specifics in elderly patients.

Background/aim: Incarcerated inguinal hernias surgical treatment represents one of the most frequent surgical treatments in elderly patients. The percentage of incarcerated inguinal hernias urgent surgical treatments is growing exponentially with the age in patients over 50. The aim of the study was to investigate some of the factors that may have impact on the incarcerated inguinal hernias surgical treatment outcome in elderly patients.

Ileocolic intussusception as a presenting sign of primary lymphoma of the colon.

Introduction: Intussusception is a rare phenomenon in adults. It is caused mainly by malignant neoplasm. Primary lymphoma of the colon is a rare malignancy of the large intestine.

Expression of regulatory proteins and proliferative activity in relation to phenotypic characteristics of upper urothelial carcinoma.

Background/aim: Deregulation of the normal cell cycle is common in upper urothelial carcinoma (UUC). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of regulatory proteins of the cell cycle (p53, p16, cyclin D1, HER-2) and proliferative Ki-67 activity in UUC, and to determine their interaction and influence on the phenotypic characteristics of UUC.

Methods: In 44 patients with UUC, histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses (p53, p16, cyclin D1, HER-2, and Ki-67) of tumors were done.

Identification and validation of six proteins as marker for endemic nephropathy.

Endemic nephropathy (EN) is defined as a slow progressive renal tubulointestitial disease that mainly occurs in the restricted areas of the Balkan Peninsula. The complexity of the pathogenesis of EN makes its earlier diagnosis very difficult. Urine samples from healthy volunteers from EN regions, EN patients with proteinuria less than 150 mg/L and EN patients with proteinuria more than 150 mg/L, patients with acute kidney injury, patients with diabetic nephropathy and healthy volunteers from Germany were collected.

Beta2-microglobulin and alpha1-microglobulin as markers of Balkan endemic nephropathy, a worldwide disease.

Background:  Urine beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG) was mainly used as a tubular marker of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) but recently alpha1-microglobulin (alpha1-MG) was proposed for the diagnosis of BEN. In this study, the potential of urine beta2-MG, alpha1-MG, albumin, and total protein in the differentiation of BEN from healthy persons and patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) and nephrosclerosis (NS) was examined.

Methods:  This study involved 47 patients with BEN, 36 with GN, 11 with NS, 30 healthy subjects from BEN families, and 46 healthy subjects from non-BEN families.

Short-term increase of glucose concentration in PDS results in extensive removal and high glycation level of vital proteins during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Background: The effect of clearance of so-called middle- and high-molecular weight proteins on clinical outcome of patients treated by peritoneal dialysis is still a matter of debate. In our present study, we investigated the impact of short-time alteration of the glucose concentration and the osmolarity of the peritoneal dialysis solution (PDS) on protein removal.

Methods: Peritoneal dialysis liquids (PDL) were collected from 19 well-characterized continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients treated with two types of PDS: Baxter (n = 10) and Fresenius (n = 9).

Exposure to tobacco smoke among asthmatic children: parents' smoking habits and level of education.

Setting: Children's Hospital for Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis, Belgrade, Serbia.

Objectives: To compare parents' educational level and smoking habits with asthma in children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and in those not exposed.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 231 asthmatic children (average age 10.

Divergent squamous differentiation in upper urothelial carcinoma-comparative clinicopathological and molecular study.

Upper urothelial carcinoma (UUC) has a plasticity to demonstrate divergent differentiation with squamous metaplastic elements. There was no previous study exploring profiling of molecular markers in metaplastic squamous upper urothelial carcinoma (SUUC) and conventional upper urothelial carcinoma (CUUC). The aims of this study was to compare expression of the phenotypic characteristics of tumors and molecular markers (p53, p16, cyclin D1, E-cadherin, HER-2, Ki-67, Bcl-2, Bax) in SUUC and CUUC.

Role of stem cells in kidney repair.

End-stage renal disease and acute renal failure are the most important issues of practical and clinical nephrology, bearing in mind their high mortality rate, solely symptomatic treatment, and overall economic impact on society. The advances in stem cell biology opened the door for the new era in treatment of many disorders, including renal, offering new therapeutical solutions. Findings suggesting that the adult kidney contains stem cells and that stem cells from bone marrow have potential to differentiate into renal cells focused research on the possible application of these cells in therapy of kidney disorders.

Long-term survival of HIV-infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy in Serbia and Montenegro.

Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically changed the prognosis of HIV disease, even in terminally ill patients. Although these patients may survive many years after the diagnosis of AIDS if treated with HAART, some still die during treatment.

Methods: A retrospective study in a cohort of 481 HIV-infected patients treated with HAART between January 1998 and December 2005 was conducted to compare subgroups of long-term survivors (LTSs) and patients who died during treatment.

The prevalence and risk of hepatitis flares in a Serbian cohort of HIV and HCV co-infected patients treated with HAART.

Despite substantial benefits of HAART treatment of HIV-infected patients, cumulative long-term toxicity, including drug-induced hepatotoxicity, has emerged as an important complication. Thus, to examine the prevalence and risk of developing severe hepatic injury during HAART, we conducted a retrospective study in a cohort of 364 HIV-infected patients treated with HAART between January 1998 and May 2006, for whom data on alanine aminotransferase activity were available both before and during HAART. HCV co-infection was recorded in 35.

The dissociation between virological and immunological responses to HAART.

While HAART allows for the reconstitution of immune functions in most treated HIV patients, discrepant responses including failure to achieve a significant increase in circulating CD4+ T cells despite undetectable plasma viral loads (pVL), or a good immunological response while not reaching undetectable viremia, may occur. Thus, to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for discrepant responses to HAART, we conducted a retrospective study of all 446 patients treated with HAART between 1 January 1998 and 31 August 2004 in our HIV unit. CD4+ T cell counts and pVL values at baseline and end of study were parameters of the type of response.

The prevalence and risk of immune restoration disease in HIV-infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Background: It is becoming increasingly clear that, during successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a proportion of treated patients develop opportunistic infections (OIs), referred to in this setting as immune restoration disease (IRD). We examined the risk of developing IRD in HAART-treated HIV-infected patients.

Methods: A retrospective study of a cohort including all 389 patients treated with HAART between 1 January 1998 and 31 May 2004 in our HIV unit was performed to evaluate the occurrence of and risk factors for IRD during HAART.