Right brain hemisphere lesions affecting language functioning in the acute phase of stroke recovery: A Croatian survey.

Unlabelled: Greater empirical and scientific attention is still put on patients with left brain hemisphere (LBH) damage where language impairments are common and expected. In patients with RBH damage, language assessment is therefore rarely done in the acute phase of stroke recovery.

Purpose: To investigate language impairments in the acute phase of stroke using a Croatian standardized language battery for the first time and compare patients with RBH stroke, LBH stroke and healthy individuals.

Management Measures and Trends of Biological Invasions in Europe: A Survey-Based Assessment of Local Managers.

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and nature's contributions to people worldwide. However, the effectiveness of invasive alien species (IAS) management measures and the progress toward achieving biodiversity targets remain uncertain due to limited and nonuniform data availability. Management success is usually assessed at a local level and documented in technical reports, often written in languages other than English, which makes such data notoriously difficult to collect at large geographic scales.

The effect of a general practitioner's perception of a patient request for antibiotics on antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: secondary analysis of a point prevalence audit survey in 18 European countries.

Background: Illness severity, comorbidity, fever, age and symptom duration influence antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTI). Non-medical determinants, such as patient expectations, also impact prescribing.

Aim: To quantify the effect of general practitioners' (GPs') perception of a patient request for antibiotics on antibiotic prescribing for RTI and investigate effect modification by medical determinants and country.

Rapid and Green Anion-Assisted Mechanochemical Peptide Cyclization.

A novel mechanochemical approach is described for chloride-templated head-to-tail macrocyclization of a pentapeptide and a hexapeptide. This straightforward method allows the solvent-free preparation of cyclopeptides with yields comparable to solution-based approaches without the need for high dilution of the reaction mixture and with significantly reduced reaction times and organic waste amount.

A retrospective study on potential drug‒drug interactions in patients with severe asthma receiving biological therapy: a single-center experience.

Background: Prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in adult patients with severe asthma on biological therapy and their clinical significance have not been fully addressed, thus the aim of this study was to investigate them.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, patients who were diagnosed with severe asthma and to whom biological therapy was prescribed between September 2015 and December 2020, were enrolled. The study was conducted at the Department of Allergic and Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Clinic for Lung Diseases Jordanovac, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb.

Preparation of dried nanoemulsion formulation by electrospinning.

Dry eye disease is a multifactorial condition characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film. Among the various treatment approaches, the application of ophthalmic oil-in-water nanoemulsions with incorporated anti-inflammatory drugs represents one of the most advanced approaches. However, the liquid nature of nanoemulsions limits their retention time at the ocular surface.

Control values of intraocular pressure in different species: a review of literature.

It is generally accepted that intraocular pressure (IOP) depends on the rate of aqueous humor production, system outflow resistance, and episcleral venous pressure. Therefore, control IOP values are expected to be within the strict and predictable limits in specific animal species, and there should be no vast differences between species. However, in the literature the control IOP values significantly vary (from potentially "hypotensive" to "hypertensive") within the same species, and especially between species depending on the measurement technique, head position in relation to the rest of the body, circadian rhythm, age, and topical and systemic drugs (anesthetics) applied.

Phosphorylation of N-glycans in the brain: The case for a non-canonical pathway?

Asparagine-linked glycosylation (N-glycosylation) is a common co- and post-translational modification that refers to the addition of complex carbohydrates, called N-linked glycans (N-glycans), to asparagine residues within defined sequons of polypeptide acceptors. Some N-glycans can be modified by the addition of phosphate moieties to their monosaccharide residues, thus forming phospho-N-glycans (PNGs). The most prominent such carbohydrate modification is mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) which plays a well-established role in trafficking of acid hydrolases to lysosomes.

Seasonal variability and risk evaluation of emerging organic contaminants in European river: linking in silico and in vitro approaches to prioritize hazardous EOCs.

Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) are a growing concern for aquatic ecosystems, underscoring the need for advanced risk assessment methodologies. This study employed an integrated approach to evaluate the risks associated with 563 EOCs across 13 monitoring sites along the Sava River in Croatia. Sampling was conducted during the winter and spring months, spanning February to May.

Survival of Eurasian lynx in the human-dominated landscape of Europe.

Survival and cause-specific mortality rates are vital for evidence-based population forecasting and conservation, particularly for large carnivores, whose populations are often vulnerable to human-caused mortalities. It is therefore important to know the relationship between anthropogenic and natural mortality causes to evaluate whether they are additive or compensatory. Further, the relation between survival and environmental covariates could reveal whether specific landscape characteristics influence demographic performance.

Current Trends in Endodontic Clinical Practice in Croatia: A Report From a Croatian National Survey.

Objective: To assess the state of endodontic practices and identify factors influencing the use of modern endodontic techniques among dental practitioners in Croatia.

Materials And Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to all dental offices in Croatia, yielding 819 responses (27% response rate). Data were descriptively analyzed and statistically modeled.

Safety and Efficacy of Long-term Use of Infliximab in Severe Juvenile Dermatomyositis - 12 Years of Follow-up.

Juvenile dermatomyositis with emphasized vasculopathy is rare, but the most severe form of the disease, with a poor prognosis with relapsing and chronic course or, in some cases, lethal outcome. We present a case of a 19-year-old Caucasian female, who developed severe acute juvenile dermatomyositis with emphasized multisystem vasculopathy, including retinal vasculopathy and maculopathy (cotton-wool spots, retinal hemorrhages, macular edema) at the age of 8. Due to no response to standard treatment protocols and rapid worsening of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, a TNF inhibitor (infliximab) was introduced after the third week of treatment resulting in complete normalisation of muscle enzyme levels and complete resolution of eye changes within the next 2 weeks with a gradual general recovery.

The Influence of Psychological Stress on the Levels of the Skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor in Croatian Medical Students.

Psychological stress may affect skin barrier homeostasis and slow down its recovery. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between psychological stress levels and natural moisturizing factor (NMF) levels in the stratum corneum (SC). NMF levels were determined in the SC of 25 third-year and 25 sixth-year medical students in two periods (stressful and non-stressful) using the tape stripping method, high-performance liquid chromatography, and spectrophotometry.

First insights into the ectoparasitic helminth fauna of freshwater fish on an Adriatic island.

Surface flow of freshwater on Adriatic islands is rare due to the extreme permeability of the karst terrain. Hence, most helminthological studies of freshwater fishes in the Adriatic drainage have focused on mainland freshwater systems, while data from islands are scarce. We collected minnow, (Schinz, 1840), specimens in the Suha Ričina stream on Krk Island and screened them for helminth ectoparasites.

Genetic Rescue of the Dinaric Lynx Population: Insights for Conservation From Genetic Monitoring and Individual-Based Modelling.

Inbreeding depression poses a severe threat to small populations, leading to the fixation of deleterious mutations and decreased survival probability. While the establishment of natural gene flow between populations is an ideal long-term solution, its practical implementation is often challenging. Reinforcement of populations by translocating individuals from larger populations is a viable strategy for reducing inbreeding, increasing genetic diversity and potentially saving populations from extinction.

A finite volume adaptation of beam-to-beam contact interactions implemented for geometrically exact Simo-Reissner beams.

This paper presents an adaption of the finite-element based beam-to-beam contact interactions into a finite volume numerical framework. A previous work of the same authors, where a cell-centred based finite volume implementation of geometrically exact nonlinear Simo-Reissner beams was developed, is used as an underlying mathematical model. An implicit contact procedure is developed for both point-to-point and line-to-line beam frictionless contact interactions, and is implemented using the cell-centred finite volume method.

Overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular disease in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry.

Background And Aims: Overweight and obesity are modifiable risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the general population, but their prevalence in individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and whether they confer additional risk of ASCVD independent of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) remains unclear.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 35 540 patients with HeFH across 50 countries, in the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry. Prevalence of World Health Organization-defined body mass index categories was investigated in adults (n = 29 265) and children/adolescents (n = 6275); and their association with prevalent ASCVD.

Personal interest and attitudes towards oocyte donation practice: a cross-sectional survey among Dutch-speaking young women in Belgium.

Purpose: This survey aimed to assess the public's knowledge and opinions on oocyte donation (OD) among a large, unselected cohort of young Belgian women, and to explore aspects that could be enhanced to promote future OD programs.

Methods: We conducted a quantitative, epidemiological, cross-sectional web-based survey from February 2023 to April 2023. A private questionnaire was distributed to young women (21-30 years) living in Belgium via a digital link.

Challenges and considerations in liposomal hydrogels for the treatment of infection.

Introduction: Liposomal hydrogels are novel drug delivery systems that comprise preformed liposomes incorporated in hydrogels destined for mostly localized drug therapy, herewith antimicrobial therapy. The formulation benefits from versatility of liposomes as lipid-based nanocarriers that enable delivery of various antimicrobials of different lipophilicities, and secondary vehicle, hydrogel, that assures better retention time of formulation at the infection site. Especially in an era of alarming antimicrobial resistance, efficient localized antimicrobial therapy that avoids systemic exposure of antimicrobial and related side effects is crucial.

The Value of Body Plethysmography (sGaw) in the Assessment of Airway Hyperreactivity in Cough Variant Asthma.

: Cough variant asthma (CVA) is characterized by nonspecific symptoms and normal spirometric values, which makes diagnosis challenging. To diagnose CVA it is necessary to document airway hyperreactivity (AHR). The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of body plethysmography in the assessment of AHR using the methacholine challenge test (MCT).

Empowering People with Disabilities in Smart Homes Using Predictive Informing.

The possibilities of the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL)/Enhanced Living Environments (ELE) concept in the environment of a smart home were investigated to improve accessibility and improve the quality of life of a person with disabilities. This paper focuses on the concept of predictive information for a person with disabilities in a smart home environment concept where artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems use data on the user's preferences, habits, and possible incident situations. A conceptual mathematical model is proposed, the purpose of which is to provide predictive user information from defined data sets.

Effects of Hot Air, Vacuum, and Conductive Drying on the Fatty Acid Profile of Pulp and Its Processing By-Products.

Considering the short shelf life of fresh pumpkin due to its high water content and the extensive use of dried pumpkin in the food industry, it is necessary to find an efficient drying method that minimizes water activity and preserves nutritional properties. In this study, the effects of hot air drying (HAD), vacuum drying (VAD), and conductive drying (CD) at 50, 60, and 70 °C on fatty acid profiles were investigated to determine optimal drying conditions that preserve fatty acid (FA) quality and associated nutritional benefits. Results showed that drying methods had a significant effect ( < 0.