The Effect of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Bone Regeneration and the Expression of Osterix and Cyclooxygenase-2 during Critical-Size Bone Defect Repair.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a form of ultrasound that utilizes low-intensity pulsed waves. Its effect on bones that heal by intramembranous ossification has not been sufficiently investigated. In this study, we examined LIPUS and the autologous bone, to determine their effect on the healing of the critical-size bone defect (CSBD) of the rat calvaria.

Deposition of heavy metals in biological tissues of workers in metal workshops.

Welding and cutting of metals produce large amounts of particulate matter (PM), which poses a significant health risk to exposed workers. Appropriate biological markers to estimate exposure are of great interest for occupational health and safety. Here, hair and nail samples from metal workers were analyzed, which appear to be more suitable than blood or urine samples for assessing long-term exposure.

Trends in Professional Radiation Exposures of Medical Staff Covered by Personal Dose Monitoring at a Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre (2000 to 2015).

The increase in the number of radiological procedures observed in recent years also means greater exposure to ionizing radiation for the medical staff performing these procedures. This is most pronounced in the teams that perform interventional and invasive radiological procedures. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of increasing numbers of radiological procedures on the effective dose received by medical staff and to determine which professions received the highest exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Correlation between Enrolment Criteria and Students' Success in the Study of Medicine: a Five-Year Retrospective Study.

Objective: To investigate whether the students' study-success correlates with the achievements evaluated in the enrolment process based on the State Graduation Exam.

Methods: The retrospective study included a total of 637 students enrolled in the study of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine from the academic year 2010-11 to 2014-15. We analysed the structure of students enrolled on the basis of the State Graduation Exam, examined their success in two courses of the study programme and then correlated this study-success with individual admission parameters.

Matrix metalloproteinases MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-13 are overexpressed in primary nodular melanoma.

Background: The spread and invasion of malignant melanoma cells involve degradation and reorganization of the extracellular matrix by the activation of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This study analyzed the expression of MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-13 proteins in primary nodular melanoma (NM) and dysplastic nevi (DN) as a significant risk factor for melanoma development. The secondary goal was to analyze the correlation of MMPs protein expression in NM with tumor invasion, BRAF V600 mutation status, and overall survival.

Determination of physiotherapy ultrasound beam quality parameters from images derived using thermochromic material.

The evaluation of the performance of nine physiotherapy ultrasound transducers used clinically was performed in the hospital environment using an acoustically absorbing thermocromic tile developed at the National Physical Laboratory (UK). The method consists of exposing an acoustic absorber tile, part of which contains a thermochromic pigment, to the ultrasonic beam, thereby forming an image of the intensity profile of the transducer. Images acquired using thermochromic materials were postprocessed in order to estimate effective radiating area (ERA) and beam nonuniformity ratio (BNR) for ultrasound transducers operating within the frequency range from 1.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Major Phenolic Compounds from Olive Leaves ( L.) Using Response Surface Methodology.

The ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of oleuropein (OLE), verbascoside (VER), and luteolin-4'--glucoside (L4OG), as the major phenolics from olive leaves, was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A Box⁻Behnken design (BBD) was used to monitor the effect of different modes of ultrasound operation (pulsed and continuous), liquid⁻solid (L⁻S) ratio, and sonication time on each phenolic yield. The yield of UAE and conventional solid extraction (CSE) was determined after performing ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector (UHPLC-DAD) analysis on the extracts.

Diagnostic value of tumour markers in pleural effusions.

Introduction: We investigated whether tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) in pleural effusions and serum can be used to distinguish pleural effusion aetiology.

Materials And Methods: During the first thoracentesis, we measured pleural fluid and serum tumour marker concentrations and calculated the pleural fluid/serum ratio for patients diagnosed with pleural effusion, using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out and the Hanley and McNeil method was used to test the significance of the difference between the areas under ROC curves (AUCs).

Quantitative testing of physiotherapy ultrasound beam patterns within a clinical environment using a thermochromic tile.

The implementation of the non-standardized method developed at the National Physical Laboratory (UK) supporting the quality assurance of therapeutic ultrasonic beam parameters within a clinical environment is presented. The method consists of exposing an acoustic absorber tile, part of which contains a thermochromic pigment, to the ultrasonic beam, thereby forming an image of the two-dimensional intensity profile of the transducer. Nine different physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads currently used clinically were tested using this method.

Craniofacial morphologic and anthropometric features of Croatian schizophrenia patients and non-psychiatric controls--a pilot study.

Aim: to evaluate differences in craniofacial morphologic features and several anthropometric measures between schizophrenia patients and non-psychiatric controls, and to find the best-fit model to differentiate between two groups.

Methods: 40 morphologic features of the head and face, and 5 craniofacial anthropometric measures were evaluated using the Lane Dysmorphology Scale in 58 patients and 46 controls. Total MPA score and subscores for different craniofacial regions were calculated.

Dosimetric verification of compensated beams using radiographic film.

Introduction: External photon beam modulation using compensators in order to achieve a desired dose distribution when brachytherapy treatment is followed by external beam radiation is a well-established technique. A compensator modulates the central part of the beam, and the dose beneath the thickest part of the compensator is delivered mostly by scattered, low energy photons. A two-dimensional detector with a good spatial resolution is needed for the verification of those beams.

Exploiting thermochromic materials for the rapid quality assurance of physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads.

Significant nonuniformities in the acoustic intensity distribution generated by physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads are not uncommon, potentially leading to significant localised temperature rises and tissue damage. An acoustic absorber tile containing a thermochromic pigment has been developed to provide rapid quality assurance of physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads by virtue of a thermochromic colour change, indicating the time-averaged intensity distributions generated by these devices. As a bench-top device, the use of the tile is designed to mimic the nature of the physiotherapeutic application, requiring minimal training.

Progress in developing a thermal method for measuring the output power of medical ultrasound transducers that exploits the pyroelectric effect.

Progress in developing a new measurement method for ultrasound output power is described. It is a thermal-based technique with the acoustic power generated by a transducer being absorbed within a specially developed polyurethane rubber material, whose high absorption coefficient ensures energy deposition within a few mm of the ultrasonic wave entering the material. The rate of change of temperature at the absorber surface is monitored using the pyroelectric voltage generated from electrodes disposed either side of a 60 mm diameter, 0.

Radiation therapy photon beams dose conformation according to dose distribution around intracavitary-applied brachytherapy sources.

Intracavitary application of brachytherapy sources followed by external beam radiation is essential for the local treatment of carcinoma of the cervix. Due to very high doses to the central portion of the target volume delivered by brachytherapy sources, this part of the target volume must be shielded while being irradiated by photon beams. Several shielding techniques are available, from rectangular block and standard cervix wedge to more precise, customized step wedge filters.

Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins in psoriasis.

Aim: To elucidate the mechanisms involved in apoptosis of psoriatic keratinocytes by examining the expression of pro-apoptotic (Bak, Bax) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, Bcl-X) Bcl-2 family of proteins, as well as the expression of p53 and Ki-67 proteins in normal skin, and uninvolved and involved psoriatic skin.

Methods: A total of 90 skin samples (30 cases of involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin and normal skin) were examined immunohistochemically to determine the protein expression of p53, Ki-67, Bcl-2, Bcl-X, Bax, and Bak. The results were quantified and expressed as a percentage of positive keratinocytes.

Expression of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins in keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Some authors view keratoacanthoma (KA) as a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), while others consider it a separate entity that must be distinguished from SCC. Involution displayed by KA is an important difference between these two entities. It has been suggested that apoptosis plays a role in the involution process of KA, although the exact trigger for it remains unclear.

Comparison of the acoustic streaming in amniotic fluid and water in medical ultrasonic beams.

Aim: Acoustic streaming in amniotic fluid has been investigated under a variety of conditions relevant to the diagnostic use of ultrasound.

Method: An ultrasonic Doppler method has been used for measurement. Streaming velocities have been compared with those generated in water for the same exposure conditions.

Perforin expression is upregulated in the epidermis of psoriatic lesions.

Background: There are currently very few data regarding the role of cell-mediated cytotoxicity in psoriasis. Both cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells mediate cytotoxicity reactions, mainly by two distinct pathways, the perforin/granzyme and the Fas/Fas ligand pathway.

Objectives: To study the expression and distribution of perforin, T- and NK-cell subsets in psoriatic lesional and nonlesional skin.

The role of perforin-mediated apoptosis in lichen planus lesions.

Lichen planus is recognized as a T-cell-mediated disease. Histologically, it is characterized by the formation of colloid bodies representing apoptotic keratinocytes. The apoptotic process mediated by CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and NK cells mainly involves two distinct pathways: the perforin/granzyme pathway and the Fas/FasL pathway.

Perforin expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes and skin-infiltrating cells in patients with lichen planus.

Background: Current evidence suggests that lichen planus is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease in which cytotoxic mechanisms have been poorly investigated.

Objectives: We investigated the expression of perforin in subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in exacerbation and remission phases of the disease as well as in skin lesions.

Methods: We performed a simultaneous detection of perforin (intracellular molecule) and cell surface antigens on PBL by flow cytometry, and skin lesions were investigated by immunohistochemistry.

The quantitative analysis of the vascularization following two basic auditory canal skin incisions.

Three groups of nine patients each were analyzed. The first two groups consisted of those that underwent tympanoplastic due to chronic inflammation of middle ear. Two different standard auditory canal skin incisions were applied, i.

Inflamed urachal cyst containing calculi in an adult.

The urachus is an embryonic structure that persists after birth in some individuals and can cause various problems. We report a case of an inflamed urachal cyst filled with a thick yellow fluid and several calculi in a woman with a 1-month history of dysuria. Physical examination revealed a fist-sized tumor located infraumbically in the midline.

Studies of acoustic streaming in biological fluids with an ultrasound Doppler technique.

Acoustic streaming generated by diagnostic ultrasound fields is an important area for study both for safety reasons and because of its potential application as a diagnostic tool. A method of investigating streaming in biological fluids is reported. A number of fluids were insonated using a 3.

Sonographic measurement of absolute and relative renal length in adults.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate sonographically measured absolute and relative lengths of normal kidneys according to subject height, sex, and age.

Methods: Real-time sonography was performed on 202 subjects. Measurements of longitudinal renal diameter represented absolute renal length.