A MAUDE database analysis on the new generation of active bone conduction hearing implants.

Objective: To analyze medical device reports (MDR) submitted to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Manufacturer and User Device Facility Experience (MAUDE) database to identify adverse events (AEs) in patients implanted with novel active bone conduction hearing implants (BCIs).

Methods: We conducted a search of the FDA MAUDE database on the newest generation of BCIs. Data were collected concerning device malfunctions, patient injuries, factors triggering these incidents, and the subsequent actions taken.

Effects of High-Intensity Training on Complete Blood Count, Iron Metabolism, Lipid Profile, Liver, and Kidney Function Tests of Professional Water Polo Players.

Aim: Our goal was to examine the effect of high-intensity physical activity on changes in the lipid profile, complete blood count (CBC), iron metabolism, and kidney and liver function tests of professional water polo players.

Methods: This study included twenty professional male water polo players. Blood sampling was carried out at the beginning of the season and during periods of high-intensity training.

Understanding Adult Central Nervous System Hemangioblastomas: A Systematic Review.

Background: Adult hemangioblastomas (HBs) are rare World Health Organization central nervous system (CNS) grade 1 tumors, particularly affecting the posterior cranial fossa. They exhibit a gender bias, impacting men in their fifth and sixth decades of life and manifesting sporadically or as part of von Hippel Lindau disease. Understanding the intricacies of CNS HBs is crucial for clinical decision-making.

Glycemia and Coagulation in Patients with Glioblastomas.

Background: Glioblastomas are among the most malignant tumors which, despite aggressive treatment, currently have an abysmal prognosis. These lesions are known to cause local and systemic perturbations in the coagulation system, leading to neoangiogenesis and a high risk of venous thromboembolism. Indeed, there have been multiple proposals of the coagulation system being a possible target for future treatment of these patients.

Clinical and Analytical Comparison of Monoclonal and Polyclonal Immunoassays for Fecal Pancreatic Elastase.

Background: Numerous immunoassays have been commercialized to determine pancreatic elastase (PE) in feces in screening for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), but how the different assays compare to one another is controversial, especially in the context that all methods use the same cut-off values for interpreting the results obtained on the presence or absence of EPI or the degree of insufficiency if it is present. Our aim was to analytically verify a new method for determining PE, compare the results with a previous method, and verify the declared cut-off values for interpretation of the results.

Methods: PE in the stool was assayed using a previous monoclonal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ("ScheBo ELISA") and a new polyclonal particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay ("Bühlmann PETIA").

Urine high-sensitive troponin I in children cannot offer an applicable alternative to serum.

Introduction: In children, congenital heart defects represent the primary cause of increased serum troponin I. The elimination process of cardiac troponin I from the bloodstream and the factors influencing this process remain unknown. The objective of this study was to explore the role of troponin I as an indicator of cardiac damage in children both in serum and urine, a concept previously investigated in adults.

LGALS3 cfDNA methylation in seminal fluid as a novel prostate cancer biomarker outperforming PSA.

Background: The unmet challenge in prostate cancer (PCa) management is to discriminate it from benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) due to the lack of specific diagnostic biomarkers. Contemporary research on potential PCa biomarkers is directed toward methylated cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from liquid biopsies since epigenetic mechanisms are strongly involved in PCa development.

Methods: In the present research, cfDNA methylation of the LGALS3 gene in blood and seminal plasma of PCa and BPH patients was assessed using pyrosequencing, as well as LGALS3 DNA methylation in tissue biopsies.

Understanding and Practices of Oral Hygiene in the Intensive Care Units: Perspectives of Medical Staff at Two University Hospital Centers.

Objective: This study assesses the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of medical staff in intensive care units (ICUs) regarding oral hygiene care for critically ill, bedridden patients.

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional study included 65 employees from the Intensive Care Units of the Sestre Milosrdnice Clinical Hospital Centre (CHC SM) and the Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb (CHC ZG). A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, methods, frequency, and attitudes towards oral care for mechanically ventilated patients.

European consensus-based interdisciplinary guideline for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of actinic keratoses, epithelial UV-induced dysplasia and field cancerization on behalf of European Association of Dermato-Oncology, European Dermatology Forum, European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and Union of Medical Specialists (Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes).

A collaboration of multidisciplinary experts from the European Association of Dermato-Oncology, the European Dermatology Forum, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, and the European Union of Medical Specialists was formed to develop European recommendations on AK diagnosis and treatment, based on current literature and expert consensus. This guideline addresses the epidemiology, diagnostics, risk stratification and treatments in immunocompetent as well as immunosuppressed patients. Actinic keratoses (AK) are potential precursors of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and display typical histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of this malignancy in an early stage.

Spontaneous Bleeding in Vestibular Schwannoma in Patients on Oral Anticoagulant Therapy: Report of Two Cases and Review of Literature.

Objective: Anticoagulant therapy is a risk factor for repeated intratumoral hemorrhage and acute enlargement of a vestibular schwannoma (VS) with neurological deficits. Therefore, we describe two cases of patients on oral anticoagulant therapy with intratumoral hemorrhage in which anticoagulant therapy prior to surgical resection was discontinued. We also discuss other similar cases from the literature since this is a rare event.

Dermatologist-like explainable AI enhances trust and confidence in diagnosing melanoma.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have been shown to help dermatologists diagnose melanoma more accurately, however they lack transparency, hindering user acceptance. Explainable AI (XAI) methods can help to increase transparency, yet often lack precise, domain-specific explanations. Moreover, the impact of XAI methods on dermatologists' decisions has not yet been evaluated.

Characterization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Transmission Clusters and Transmitted Drug-Resistant Mutations in Croatia from 2019 to 2022.

Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 infection is challenging due to the highly diverse HIV-genome. We investigated the genetic diversity and prevalence of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) followed by phylogenetic analysis in 270 HIV-1 infected, treatment-naïve individuals from Croatia in the period 2019-2022. The results of this research confirmed a high overall prevalence of TDR of 16.

Effects of Electromyographic Biofeedback-Assisted Exercise on Functional Recovery and Quality of Life in Patients after Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The goal of the trial was to examine the effects of adding electromyographic biofeedback (EMG-BF) to the conventional program of physiotherapy after total hip arthroplasty (THA) on functional recovery and quality of life. The trial was designed as a prospective, interventional, single-blinded randomized controlled study. Ninety patients were randomized into an experimental group (EG) ( = 45; mean age 63.

An association between PPARα-L162V polymorphism and increased plasma LDL cholesterol levels after risperidone treatment.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and antipsychotic medications both influence polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) homeostasis, and thus PPARα polymorphism may be linked to antipsychotic treatment response. Here we investigated whether the functional leucine 162 valine (L162V) polymorphism in PPARα influenced antipsychotic treatment in a group of psychosis patients (N = 186), as well as in a patient subgroup with risperidone, paliperidone, or combination treatment (N = 65). Antipsychotic-naïve first-episode patients and nonadherent chronic individuals were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction analysis.

Renal Denervation in the Treatment of Resistant Hypertension and Difficult-to-Control Hypertension - Consensus Document of the Croatian Hypertension League - Croatian Society of Hypertension, Croatian Cardiac Society, Croatian Endovascular Initiative, Croatian Society for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Croatian Renal Association, and Croatian Society of Family Physicians of the Croatian Medical Association.

Renal denervation (RDN) as a method of treating arterial hypertension (AH) was introduced in Croatia in 2012. A multidisciplinary team and a network of hospitals that diagnose and treat patients with severe forms of AH were established, and a very strict diagnostic-treatment algorithm was prepared. At monthly meetings patients with truly resistant hypertension who were candidates for RDN were discussed.

The 'peptide for life' initiative in the emergency department study.

Aims: Natriuretic peptide (NP) uptake varies in Emergency Departments (EDs) across Europe. The 'Peptide for Life' (P4L) initiative, led by Heart Failure Association, aims to enhance NP utilization for early diagnosis of heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that implementing an educational campaign in Western Balkan countries would significantly increase NP adoption rates in the ED.

The impact of smoking on estimated biological age and body fat composition: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Smoking tobacco results in the death of more than 8 million people every year. Our study aims to explore a new approach for smoking cessation by analyzing body composition differences between smokers and non-smokers, focusing on potential variations in biological and chronological ages.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 at the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation in Croatia.

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.

The Impact of Modern Anti-Diabetic Treatment on Endothelial Progenitor Cells.

Diabetes is one of the leading chronic diseases globally with a significant impact on mortality. This condition is associated with chronic microvascular and macrovascular complications caused by vascular damage. Recently, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) raised interest due to their regenerative properties.

Primary undifferentiated carcinoma of rete testis with extensive peritoneal carcinomatosis and fatal outcome: Case report.

Carcinoma of rete testis is an extremely rare malignant tumor arising from its epithelium. Prognosis is poor with mean survival of 8 months. Lymph node metastases and the size of the tumor larger than 5 cm are poor prognostic factors.

Relationship between COMT Gene Polymorphism, Anxiety, and Pain Perception during Labour.

Background: The COMT gene polymorphism is associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders and pain perception. The present study investigates the existence of anxiety and pain perception in relation to the COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) gene polymorphism in labouring women (during "natural" childbirth) with or without inhaled analgesia.

Methods: A total of 181 women who chose vaginal birth were enrolled in this study.