Role of Elevated Serum TGF-β1 and the Common Promoter -509C/T Polymorphism in the Development and Progression of Primary Glial Tumors and Brain Metastases.

: The role of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) has been widely studied in the context of carcinogenesis. It has been involved in the pathogenesis of primary brain tumors or brain metastases due to its pleiotropic effects on immune regulation and tissue homeostasis. In line with recent findings, the aim of the current study was to examine the role of circulating TGF-β1 and the -509C/T functional polymorphism (rs1800469) in the gene promoter in the susceptibility and progression of primary brain tumors and brain metastases among patients from the Bulgarian population.

Design, Synthesis, In Silico Studies and In Vitro Evaluation of New Indole- and/or Donepezil-like Hybrids as Multitarget-Directed Agents for Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered a complex neurodegenerative condition which warrants the development of multitargeted drugs to tackle the key pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease. In this study, two novel series of melatonin- and donepezil-based hybrid molecules with hydrazone () or sulfonyl hydrazone () fragments were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as multifunctional ligands against AD-related neurodegenerative mechanisms. Two lead compounds ( and ) exhibited a well-balanced multifunctional profile, demonstrating intriguing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, promising antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods, as well as the inhibition of lipid peroxidation in the linoleic acid system.

Laparoscopic Treatment of Primary Colon Melanoma: A Case Study.

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tract melanomas are usually of metastatic origin, with primary melanomas being relatively rare. Controversy arises about the existence of primary melanoma in the gastrointestinal tract except in areas where melanocytes exist. The appearance of primary colon melanoma is rare due to the embryological absence of melanocytes in the large intestine, with some authors denying its existence at all.

Novel Arylsulfonylhydrazones as Breast Anticancer Agents Discovered by Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships.

Breast cancer (BC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, with more than 600,000 deaths annually. Despite the progress that has been made in early diagnosis and treatment of this disease, there is still a significant need for more effective drugs with fewer side effects. In the present study, we derive QSAR models with good predictive ability based on data from the literature and reveal the relationships between the chemical structures of a set of arylsulfonylhydrazones and their anticancer activity on human ER+ breast adenocarcinoma and triple-negative breast (TNBC) adenocarcinoma.

Development of New Antimycobacterial Sulfonyl Hydrazones and 4-Methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazole-Based Hydrazone Derivatives.

Fifteen 4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazole-based hydrazone derivatives - and sulfonyl hydrazones - were synthesized. They were characterized by H-NMR, C NMR, and HRMS. strain H37Rv was used to assess their antimycobacterial activity.

Ultrafast photocarrier dynamics in Fe-implanted InGaAs polycrystalline photoconductive materials.

We investigate the ultrafast photoconductivity and charge-carrier transport in thermally annealed Fe-implanted InGaAs/InP films using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy. The samples were fabricated from crystalline InGaAs films amorphized with Fe ions implantation. The rapid thermal annealing of the InGaAs layer induces solid recrystallization through the formation of polycrystalline grains whose sizes are shown to increase with increasing annealing temperature within the 300-700 °C range.

Technical considerations depending on the level of vascular ligation in laparoscopic rectal resection.

Aim: In addition to ischemia there is also anastomotic ends tension proven to be a risk factor for anastomotic leak. HT vascular ligation is accepted as a rule, in attempt to achieve tension-free anastomosis. LT is a preferred option, based on the more accurate preservation of proximal intestinal segment microperfusion and lower risk of damage to the hypogastric plexus.

Hydrogen isotopes reveal evidence of migration of Miniopterus schreibersii in Europe.

Background: The Schreiber's bat, Miniopterus schreibersii, is adapted to long-distance flight, yet long distance movements have only been recorded sporadically using capture-mark-recapture. In this study, we used the hydrogen isotopic composition of 208 wing and 335 fur specimens from across the species' European range to test the hypothesis that the species migrates over long distances.

Results: After obtaining the hydrogen isotopic composition (δH) of each sample, we performed geographic assignment tests by comparing the δH of samples with the δH of sampling sites.

Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Intestinal Permeability and Programs Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in BALB/C Mice.

Background: Recent studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with intestinal dysfunctions, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether maternal vitamin D deficiency increases intestinal permeability in offspring and its related mechanism.

Methods: Timed-pregnant mice were fed with either a standard chow diet (SC) or a vitamin D-deprived chow diet (VD-) 6 weeks prior to breeding and kept on the same diet until the end of gestation.

Diagnostic Significance of Biomarkers of Iron Deficiency for Anemia in Clinical Practice.

Aim: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common medical condition, yet there is still some diagnostic uncertainty in this respect. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical significance of biomarkers of iron deficiency (ID) in diagnosing IDA and iron-deficient erythropoiesis in anemic patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 103 untreated patients with non-hemolytic anemia were included.

Improving the Magnetic Properties of Non-Oriented Electrical Steels by Secondary Recrystallization Using Dynamic Heating Conditions.

In the present work, we have used unconventional short-term secondary recrystallization heat treatment employing extraordinary high heating rate to develop coarse-grained microstructure with enhanced intensity of rotating cube texture {100}<011> in semi-finish vacuum degassed non-oriented electrical steels. The soft magnetic properties were improved through the increase of grains size with favourable cube crystallographic orientation. The appropriate final textural state of the treated experimental steels was achieved by strain-induced grain boundary migration mechanism, activated by gradient of accumulated stored deformation energy between neighbouring grains after the application of soft cold work, combined with steep temperature gradient during subsequent heat treatment under dynamic heating conditions.

Bipolar disorder in youth is associated with increased levels of vitamin D-binding protein.

Genetic, dietary, and inflammatory factors contribute to the etiology of major mood disorders (MMD), thus impeding the identification of specific biomarkers to assist in diagnosis and treatment. We tested association of vitamin D and inflammatory markers in 36 adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) forms of MMD and without MMD (non-mood control). We also assessed the overall level of inflammation using a cell-based reporter assay for nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) activation and measuring antibodies to oxidized LDL.

Hidden diversity in the Podarcis tauricus (Sauria, Lacertidae) species subgroup in the light of multilocus phylogeny and species delimitation.

The monophyletic species subgroup of Podarcis tauricus is distributed in the western and southern parts of the Balkans, and includes four species with unresolved and unstudied inter- and intra-specific phylogenetic relationships. Using sequence data from two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes and applying several phylogenetic methods and species delimitation approaches to an extensive dataset, we have reconstructed the phylogeny of the Podarcis wall lizards in the Balkans, and re-investigated the taxonomic status of the P. tauricus species subgroup.

Short-lived mammals (shrew, mouse) have a less robust metal-responsive transcription factor than humans and bats.

Non-essential "heavy" metals such as cadmium tend to accumulate in an organism and thus are a particular threat for long-lived animals. Here we show that two unrelated, short-lived groups of mammals (rodents and shrews, separated by 100 Mio years of evolution) each have independently acquired mutations in their metal-responsive transcription factor (MTF-1) in a domain relevant for robust transcriptional induction by zinc and cadmium. While key amino acids are mutated in rodents, in shrews an entire exon is skipped.

[The comprehensive approach to ensure the quality of forensic medical examination of a cadaver].

The objective of the present work was to estimate the effectiveness of the comprehensive monitoring system designed to enhance the quality of forensic medical expertise for determining the cause of death in the hanging cases. It was shown that the practical application of the algorithmization and automated quality control system improves the effectiveness of forensic medical examination of the cadavers in the hanging cases. The system performs the control, directing, and teaching functions.

[DIFFERENCE IN THE PREVALENCE OF BURNOUT SYNDROME IN PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL TEACHING DOCTORS OF MOSTAR SCHOOL OF MEDICINE].

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the difference in the prevalence of burnout syndrome in preclinical and clinical teaching doctors of Mostar School of Medicine in the academic year 2011/2012. Special attention was also focused on finding out the possible difference between the syndrome incidence that was correlated to gender and years of service. The main hypothesis was that the probability of burnout syndrome incidence was higher in the group of female clinical teaching doctors having more years of service.

Infections in Hospitalised Patients with Multiple Myeloma: Main Characteristics and Risk Factors.

Objective: Multiple myeloma is a common haematological malignancy and immune dysfunction is the hallmark of the disease. It leads to an increased infection risk, which is still a major cause of mortality. The infection spectrum and characteristics have evolved with the introduction of novel agents.

Attitudes of adolescents towards sexual health in three cities from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the attitudes of adolescents towards sexual health and to assess their understanding of contraception use and knowledge about sexually transmitted infections in three ethnically different areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Methods: A total of 146 adolescent high school students between 17 and 19 years of age from three different cities were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The participants completed two anonymous questionnaires: one that measured attitudes towards safe sex practice and another that measured contraception and general sexual health knowledge.

Morphological differentiation of seven species of the genus Heterocypris Claus, 1892 (Ostracoda, Crustacea) based on the upper lip.

Morphological differences of upper lip shape were analyzed in seven Heterocypris species occurring in the Mediterranean region. Descriptive observations and morphometric analysis of upper lip length, height and maximum height position are given for 17 populations from the Pannonian Plain, Balkan Peninsula and Iberian Peninsula. We found high variation in relative upper lip measurements between the species, indicating that upper lip traits can be used as additional taxonomic characters.

Buschke-Löwenstein tumor: squamous cell carcinoma of the anogenital region.

Introduction: Buschke-Löwenstein tumor (BLT), as a rare form of condylomata acuminatum, was firstly described by Buschke in 1886 as a "carcinoma-like condyloma acuminatum of the penis". BLT is generally considered to be a low-grade variant of squamous cell carcinoma of the anogenital region.

Case Outline: We describe a case of BLT in a 56-year-old male patient who was referred to our institute due to a large defect in the gluteal region.

[The frequency of burnout syndrome in physicians in Mostar University Hospital].

Aim: To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome in clinical physicians in Mostar University Hospital.

Subjects And Methods: The study included 94 subjects who were familiar with the purpose of research and were classified into three specialty groups. The first consisted of doctors in the Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, the second group of doctors in the Department of Surgery and Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, while the third group (CL-specialization) were doctors of the Clinic of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Department of Ophthalmology.

Secondary traumatisation and systemic traumatic stress.

Traditionally, research has been focused on the development of symptoms in direct trauma survivors. However, during the last two decades researchers and clinicians have started exploring the way individual traumatic stress exposure affects trauma victims' spouses, children and professional caregivers. Studying trauma within the family is a part of what is called systemic traumatology, a study of groups, institutions and other human systems that show stress reactions directly caused by a traumatic event or series of events.

[Psychological adjustment to chronic stress in parents of children with intellectual disability].

Aim: To investigate whether mothers and fathers of children with intellectual disability differ when it comes to resistance factors (deailing with stress, marital quality, personality traits) and adjustement (psychical symptoms and subjective health complaints, pleasant and unpleasant mood).

Subjects And Methods: The researchencompassed 30 married couples, 30 mathers and 30 fathers, all of wich are parents of children whit intellectual disability who treat in Service for psychophysical and speech difficulties in Mostar, Centre for special needs "Mary our hope" in Siroki Brijeg and Centre "Nazareth" in Mostar. Materials are delivered to parents on arrival at chech-in to special education.

Atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular blocks and bundle branch blocks in hemodialysis patients.

Atrial fibrillation is one of the most frequent arrhythmias diagnosed in clinical practice and it is also relatively common in dialysis patients. Atrioventricular and intraventricular conduction disturbances are less investigated in hemodialysis patients and data about their prevalence are insufficient. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular blocks and bundle branch blocks in hemodialysis patients and to analyze different clinical risk factors.

[Impact of ambient air pollution on the prevalence of main symptoms of asthma in children].

The impact of ambient air pollution on the prevalence of main symptoms of asthma was analyzed in children. A total of 3,506 children were interviewed using the ISAAC questionnaire. The prevalence of the abnormality was studied via continuous questioning in children aged 7-8 and 13-14 years, who lived in areas with varying aerogenic loads.