30-day Morbidity and Mortality after Cholecystectomy for Benign Gallbladder Disease (AMBROSE): A Prospective, International Collaborative Cohort Study.

Objective: This study aimed to assess 30-day morbidity and mortality rates following cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease and identify the factors associated with complications.

Summary Background Data: Although cholecystectomy is common for benign gallbladder disease, there is a gap in the knowledge of the current practice and variations on a global level.

Methods: A prospective, international, observational collaborative cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease from participating hospitals in 57 countries between January 1 and June 30, 2022, was performed.

Sex-related response in mice after sub-acute intraperitoneal exposure to silver nanoparticles.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most commercialized nanomaterials in biomedicine due to their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Nevertheless, possible health hazards of exposure to AgNPs are yet to be understood and therefore raise public concern in regards of their safety. In this study, sex-related differences, role of steroidal hormones and influence of two different surface stabilizing agents (polymer vs.

Indoor carbon dioxide concentrations in Croatian elementary school classrooms during the heating season.

Aware that exposure to stuffy indoor air with high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) is associated with higher absenteeism and reduced academic performance in school pupils, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe initiated indoor air quality surveys in schools, including CO2 monitoring, to assess ventilation and exposure to stuffy air. Here we report the findings of the first such survey in Croatia. It was conducted in 60 classrooms of 20 urban and rural elementary schools throughout the country during the heating season.

Anti-HBc prevalence among Croatian blood donors in a 14-year period (2004-2017): Assessment of trends, risks and need for implementing routine testing.

Objectives: The anti-HBc prevalence over a 14-years period (2004-2017), trends, infectivity, residual risk, and need for testing in blood donors (BD) of the Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine were assessed.

Material And Methods: Anti-HBc was tested in 19,969 BD serum samples collected in 2004 (N=7561), 2013 (N=7318) and 2017 (N=5090). All serums were initially screened for HBsAg, anti-HCV, HIV Ag/Ab, and anti-TP.

Association between night-time surgery and occurrence of intraoperative adverse events and postoperative pulmonary complications.

Background: The aim of this post hoc analysis of a large cohort study was to evaluate the association between night-time surgery and the occurrence of intraoperative adverse events (AEs) and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs).

Methods: LAS VEGAS (Local Assessment of Ventilatory Management During General Anesthesia for Surgery) was a prospective international 1-week study that enrolled adult patients undergoing surgical procedures with general anaesthesia and mechanical ventilation in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. Surgeries were defined as occurring during 'daytime' when induction of anaesthesia was between 8:00 AM and 7:59 PM, and as 'night-time' when induction was between 8:00 PM and 7:59 AM.

Antioxidant Pre-Treatment Reduces the Toxic Effects of Oxalate on Renal Epithelial Cells in a Cell Culture Model of Urolithiasis.

Urolithiasis is characterized by the formation and retention of solid crystals within the urinary tract. Kidney stones are mostly composed of calcium oxalate, which predominantly generates free radicals that are toxic to renal tubular cells. The aim of the study is to explore possible effects of antioxidant pre-treatment on inhibition of oxidative stress.

Osteoporosis and polymorphisms of osteoprotegerin gene in postmenopausal women - a pilot study.

Objectives: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) has an important role in bone remodeling, and it has been proposed that the OPG gene might be a candidate gene for osteoporosis predisposition. Several studies have already assessed the connection between OPG gene polymorphism and bone mineral density (BMD). In this study we wanted to analyze the association of two polymorphisms in the OPG gene with BMD and bone turnover markers in women with and without osteoporosis.

Proton pump (H+/K+-ATPase) expression in human larynx.

Objective: The goal of our study was to investigate and to identify the existence of proton pump in different parts of larynx. The presence of acidic content in this area is known to be connected to several laryngeal diseases. It is mostly developed by upward recurrence of acidic gastric content, but there are some signs that the acid can be produced in the larynx as well, because of the proton pump activity in laryngeal mucosa.

Merkel cell carcinoma: case report.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. Although it is 40 times less common than malignant melanoma, its mortality is much higher compared to melanoma. From 1986 to 2001 there was rapidly increasing incidence in reported cases of MCC, with a tripling in the rate over this 15-year period.

High squamous intraepithelial lesion and cancer of lower genital tract in women with anogenital warts.

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to determine the incidence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and cancer of lower genital tract in patients with anogenital warts and their treatment.

Methods: Between 1 September 1988 and 30 June 1994, 221 consecutive women with anogenital warts were prospectively examined in the colposcopy outpatient clinic. In 2004, the same group of patients was re-examined.

Conservative surgical management of necrotic tissues following meningococcal sepsis: case report of a child treated with hyperbaric oxygen.

This article presents the case of a 5-month-old infant, who survived a fulminant meningococcal sepsis with purpura fulminans, septic shock and severe DIC with gastrointestinal bleeding. Amputation and reconstructive surgery were considered to treat the multiple skin and limb necroses at high risk of superinfection, but the surgical intervention was delayed due to the extremely doubtful outcome. On Day 10 after the onset of the disease, a hemodynamic improvement was achieved.

Personalized pharmacotherapy in psychiatry.

The hypothesis of each individual being special and different leading to heterogenity of diseases sets the ground for the concept of personalized medicine. Personalized psychiatry follows the principles of personalized medicine. A constituent part of an individually adapted approach towards the psychiatric patient presents itself thorough personalized psychiatry.

"Signet-ring" cell invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast - accidental finding associated with intraductal papilloma: a case report.

Background: A 57-year old woman had only unilateral milky dischardge of the right breast. Clinical and mammography findings were normal.

Case Presentation: Cytological diagnosis of intraductal papilloma was established which was galactographically confitmed and patient underwent to surgery.

Fatal fulminant sepsis due to a cat bite in an immunocompromised patient.

Pasteurella multocida infections in humans can present as localized infections of soft tissues surrounding the lesions, as respiratory tract infections or as systemic infections with slow or fulminant development. Over 90% of human infections are cases of wound infections or abscesses related to a bite, scratch, or licking of skin lesions by a cat or dog. Severe systemic diseases such as pneumonia, lung abscess, peritonitis, endocarditis, meningitis and sepsis are also well known, especially in patients with underlying medical conditions.

Association of vitamin D receptor gene 3'-variants with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in the Croatian population.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disease with strong genetic background. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) endocrine system affects immunosuppressive, regulatory and tolerogenic decisions required for induction and maintenance of peripheral immune tolerance. With respect to the biological function of the VDR and functionally plausible gene-expression data, we sought to test whether particular 3'-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and haplotypes previously directly or indirectly associated with VDR mRNA 3'-allelic imbalance phenotype and differences in total VDR mRNA expression are implicated in HT susceptibility.

Diffuse eosinophilic gastroenteropathy with pleural effusion and ascites.

We are reporting a case of a 39-year-old woman with a picture of constipation, who came to our department. Anamnesticly she claimed on constipation and flatulence for 6 days, and on slight cough for last two days, but no other symptoms. After complete diagnostic treatment we found a pleural effusion in right lung and ascites in a bowel.

Inhibitory properties of nucleotides with difluoromethylenephosphonic acid as a phosphate mimic versus calf spleen purine nucleoside phosphorylase and effect of these analogues on the viability of human blood lymphocytes.

Several cyclic and acyclic 6-keto purine nucleotides with difluoromethylenephosphonic acid as phosphate mimic are proved to be potent inhibitors of mammalian purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). Antiproliferative activity of these analogues on the growth of human blood lymphocytes was tested by MTT assay. Compared to inhibitory effects on the growth of human blood T-lymphocytes isolated from healthy donors, all analogues significantly slow down proliferation of T-lymphocytes isolated from patients with autoimmune thyroid disease--Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Biological properties of 4-methyl-2,7-diamino-5,10-diphenyl-4,9-diazapyrenium hydrogensulfate (ADAP).

Objective: 4-Methyl-2,7-diamino-5,10-diphenyl-4,9-diazapyrenium hydrogensulfate (ADAP) is a potential antitumor compound because of its DNA and RNA intercalating ability. In this study, cellular uptake, intracellular distribution as well as mechanism of action, antitumor activity in vitro and toxicity in vivo of ADAP were investigated.

Methods: Based on the fluorescence properties of ADAP, its entry and distribution into live cells were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy.

Ethics of the early intervention in the treatment of schizophrenia.

When second generation antipsychotics were introduced in the mid 1990-s they offered the possibility of early psychopharmacological interventions in the treatment of schizophrenia. The idea applying antipsychotics in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia today is an realistic option. However ethical dilemmas about offering antipsychotics to the adolescents with at risk mental states, of whom only a few are real prodromes of schizophrenia remain for clinicians.

QSAR study of antimicrobial activity of some 3-nitrocoumarins and related compounds.

A new class of antimicrobial agents, 3-nitrocoumarins and related compounds, has been chosen as a subject of the present study. In order to explore their activity and molecular properties that determine their antimicrobial effects, QSAR models have been proposed. Most of the 64 descriptors used for the development were extracted from semiempirical and density functional theory (DFT) founded calculations.

A case of intra-amniotic maternal hemorrhage in term pregnancy.

Introduction: Intra-amniotic maternal hemorrhage is a rare condition, hard to differentiate from some other conditions in pregnancy. We report an unusual case of intra-amniotic maternal hemorrhage in term pregnancy ending in urgent cesarean section, identified on ultrasound examination.

Case Report: A 24-year-old female (gravida 3, para 2, abortion 0) was admitted to hospital at 40 weeks' gestation for collapse and general weakness.

Prenatal ultrasound assessment and fetal heart monitoring: analysis of dizygotic twins discordant for body stalk anomaly in the third trimester of pregnancy.

We describe a case of dizygotic twin pregnancy which was referred to our centre because of a discordant anomaly of one of the twins. The ultrasound examination revealed a large extra-abdominal mass (liver and bowel) with micromelia, severe kyphoscoliosis and a short umbilical cord of the second dizygotic discordant twin. These ultrasound findings were diagnosed as body stalk anomaly.

Newer antipsychotics and glucose metabolism: a comparison between olanzapine and risperidone.

In order to estimate the degree of glucose tolerance impairment, oral glucose tolerance test was conducted in the group of 15 schizophrenic patients taking olanzapine, the group of 15 schizophrenic patients taking risperidone and in the group of 14 healthy volunteers. In the olanzapine group the tolerance was impaired in 33% of the patients, contrary to the risperidone group in which impairment amounted to 20% of the patients. The authors discuss possible mechanisms responsible for impaired glucose tolerance in patients taking newer antipsychotic drugs.