Reflex Responses in Muscles of the Lower Extremities Elicited by Transcutaneous Stimulation of Cauda Equina: Part 1. Methodology and Normative Data.

Introduction: Transcutaneous electrical stimulation is used to stimulate the dorsal roots of the cauda equina. Multiple elicited responses recorded in the lower extremity muscles are called posterior root muscle reflexes (PRMRs). Normal PRMR values in the muscles of healthy lower extremities have yet to be determined.

Development of a computational pregnant female phantom and calculation of fetal dose during a photon breast radiotherapy.

Background: The incidence of carcinoma during pregnancy is reported to be 1:1000-1:1500 pregnancies with the breast carcinoma being the most commonly diagnosed. Since the fetus is most sensitive to ionizing radiation during the first two trimesters, there are mixed clinical opinions and no uniform guidelines on the use of radiotherapy during pregnancy. Within this study the pregnant female phantom in the second trimester, that can be used for radiotherapy treatment planning (as DICOM data), Monte Carlo simulations (as voxelized geometry) and experimental dosimetry utilizing 3D printing of the molds (as .

The AsSociation Between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism, and Thyroid Cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), antidiabetic therapy, hypothyroidism, and thyroid cancer. We analyzed data from 320 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for suspicion of cancer. The diagnosis of thyroid cancer was confirmed by histopathological analysis in 95 patients.

Characteristics of Malignant Thyroid Tumors: A Retrospective Study on 320 Patients.

Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for 80-85% of diagnosed thyroid cancers, while follicular, medullary, and anaplastic cancers are diagnosed significantly less frequently. This study aimed to show the characteristics of malignant thyroid tumors. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 320 patients who underwent thyroid surgery from January 2018 to December 2019.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Instrumented Allograft Fusion: Lordosis Restoration and Comparison of Functional Outcomes among Patients of Different Age Groups.

Objective: To investigate clinical parameters of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) treatment and outcomes using osseous allografts in different age groups, study the postoperative results of restoration of lordosis, and evaluate the utility of bone allografts for ACDF, including graft subsidence.

Methods: We reviewed data from 154 patients with clinical symptoms and radiologic signs of disc herniation and/or cervical spondylosis. Decompression was achieved through discectomy, osteophyte ablation, endplate drilling, and foraminotomy.

Simple Tumor Localization Scale for Estimating Management Outcome of Intracranial Meningioma.

Objective: Intracranial meningiomas are typically benign extracerebral tumors derived from dural arachnoid cells. Predominantly, these tumors are effectively managed surgically, but the prognosis is heavily dependent on a tumor's histologic heterogeneity and its location. It is known that reproductive and hormonal factors increase the risk for meningioma in adult females, but their prognostic value still remains controversial.

Primary Central Nervous System Anaplastic Large T-cell Lymphoma.

Introduction: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) of T-cell origin is an exceptionally rare, highly malignant intracranial neoplasm. Although such a tumor typically presents with a focal mass lesion.

Case Report: Past medical history of a 26-year-old male patient with a PCNS lymphoma of T-cell origin was not suggestive of intracranial pathology or any disorder of other organs and organic systems.

Relationship between cannabinoids content and composition of fatty acids in hempseed oils.

Hempseed oils acquired on the Croatian markets were characterised by cannabinoid content and fatty acid composition. The new method for determination of cannabinoid content was developed and validated in the range of 0.05-60 mg/kg, and the content of tetrahydrocannabinol varied between 3.

Management and prognosis of primary cerebral melanocytic tumors. A case report and systematic review.

Primary melanocytic cerebral tumors form a spectrum of different lesions that range from benign to extremely malignant, such as an intracranial melanoma. This article points out some characteristics of primary melanocytic cerebral tumors and discusses their management and prognosis, based on a systematic literature review and a case of primary cerebral malignant melanoma.Because the biological characteristics of primary melanocytic cerebral tumors remain unclear, it appears that total surgical resection of the tumor followed by oncologic treatment is the mainstay of the management.

Mutations that modulate receptor-hormone congruency as a cause of the primate GH receptor species specificity.

Peptide hormones depend on reliable recognition by their receptors. Any mutation that compromises recognition of hormone and receptor molecules is dangerous, the carrier animal would not procreate and the mutation would be lost. Although, most of the hormones from one mammalian species are active when injected into another, the incompatibility of human GH receptor toward nonprimate GHs is a notable exception.

Effects of rest and exercise on cardiac blood volume determinations.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in blood activity during rest, exercise and recovery, and to assess its influence on left ventricular (LV) volume determination using the count-based method requiring blood sampling.

Methods: Forty-four patients underwent rest-stress radionuclide ventriculography; Tc-99m-human serum albumin was used in 13 patients (Group I), red blood cells was labeled using Tc-99m in 17 patients (Group II) in vivo, and in 14 patients (Group Ill) by modified in vivo/in vitro method. LV volumes were determined by a count-based method using corrected count rate in blood samples obtained during rest, peak exercise and after recovery.

Case-control study of risk factors for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation in Croatian island populations.

Aim: To investigate the risk factors for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (L4/L5 or L5/S1) severe enough to require surgery of the lower spine among 9 isolated populations of Croatian islands and to evaluate predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity of a simple screening test based on the understanding of the risk factors in this population.

Methods: In a sample of 1001 examinees from Croatian island populations, we identified all subjects who underwent surgery of the lower spine due to lumbar intervertebral disc herniation L4/L5 or L5/S1 and selected 4 controls matched by age, gender, and village of residence for each of them. Odds ratio was computed for the following variables: body mass index, occupation, intensity of physical labor at work, intensity of physical labor at home, smoking index, claudication index, self-assessed limitation in physical activity, level of education, socio-economic status, and family history of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation requiring surgery.

Are HER1/EGFR interactions with ligand free HER2 related to the effects of HER1-targeted drugs?

This paper is aimed to describe consequences of possible dimerization modes between ligand binding HER1 and ligand free HER2 receptors on cellular membrane. Cells without HER2/neu need high exposure to HER1 ligands for growth stimulation since formation of HER1-ligand:HER1-ligand homodimers depends on the number of both HER1 and ligand molecules and an "all or none" threshold under which cell growth is not stimulated can be expected. Cells with HER2/neu molecules on their surface can react to moderate or even low HER1 ligand exposure through formation of HER2:HER1-ligand dimers, making them more sensitive to growth stimulation by EGF or other ligands without the "all or none" threshold in cell growth stimulation.

Novel approach to evolutionary neural network based descriptor selection and QSAR model development.

Capability of evolutionary neural network (ENN) based QSAR approach to direct the descriptor selection process towards stable descriptor subset (DS) composition characterized by acceptable generalization, as well as the influence of description stability on QSAR model interpretation have been examined. In order to analyze the DS stability and QSAR model generalization properties multiple random dataset partitions into training and test set were made. Acceptability criteria proposed by Golbraikh et al.

The Type A-B behavior pattern in urban and rural men and women.

This study examined the prevalence of the Type A behavior pattern with Bortner's scale in a rural (n = 104) and urban (n = 200) sample of men and women in Slavonia, Croatia. The mean score on the Bortner scale for the rural sample was significantly lower than the mean for the urban sample. The results support the view that rural lifestyle suppresses manifestation of Type A characteristics.

Minoxidil and male-pattern alopecia: a potential role for a local regulator of sebum secretion with vasoconstrictive effects?

Regulation of the hair cycle takes place at the pilo-sebaceous unit with the sebaceous gland as a sex hormone-dependent part. Although minoxidil stimulates proliferation of follicular cells and activation of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-1, it was suggested that other mechanisms, such as an increase in the local blood flow, might mediate the drug effect on hair growth. If that is the case, it is possible that minoxidil counteracts some vasoconstrictive mediator of male-pattern alopecia.

Endothelin-secreting tumors and the idea of the pseudoectopic hormone secretion in tumors.

Ectopic hormone secretion in tumor cells is here described as an amplification of hormone production already present in normal, nonendocrine tumor-originated tissue. This idea is tested on the available data regarding endothelin-1 (ET-1) secreting tumors. The endothelins are ubiquitous regulatory peptides produced by various tissues.

Self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head during the war and post-war period.

Thirty-five patients with self-inflicted gunshot brain injury were admitted to our hospital during 1991-96. War conditions and availability of firearms influenced the increase in these injuries, nearly six times greater than in the previous 6-year peace time period (1985-90). Our management protocol consisted of radical debridement of the missile track and evacuation of haematomata.

Ballistic trauma in 1991/92 war in Osijek, Croatia: shell fragments versus bullets.

During 18 months of the 1991/92 war against Croatia, 4,545 injured were treated at the Department of Surgery of Osijek Clinical Hospital. Some, 2,544 (55.9%) sustained shell fragment injuries and 807 (17.

Analysis of 127 war inflicted missile brain injuries sustained in north-eastern Croatia.

During the 4-year period (1991-1994) there were 127 consecutive patients with missile brain wound treated at the Division of Neurosurgery. They sustained brain injury in the region of east Slavonia, Baranya and north Bosnia, and were admitted mostly during the homeland defensive war in Croatia (1991-1992). Analysing the wounded, we divided them in two groups: "succumbed" (59 wounded) and "survivors" (68 wounded).

Cor triatriatum dextrum--an unusual variant of triatrial heart.

The present report describes a rare case of triatrial heart, cor triatriatum dextrum in a 31-year-old woman in whom the anomaly was incidentally detected by radionuclide angiocardiography. Subsequent assessment with two-dimensional echocardiography and right heart catheterization confirmed the presence of a membrane subdividing the right atrium into two distinct chambers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case in which this cardiac anomaly was demonstrated by radionuclide technique.

Reconstruction of major arteries of lower extremities after war injuries. Long-term follow up.

During 18 months' period of war in northeastern Croatia 38 wounded with injuries of lower extremity arteries were operated on in Osijek Department of Surgery demanding the use of substitute conduit for vascular reconstruction; 26 synthetic prosthesis and 12 vein grafts were applied. Ankle-brachial index and life-table method were used for the construction of the initial and cumulative limb salvage rate at 40 months. Cumulative graft patency and limb salvage rates for synthetic grafts was 87.

Computer simulation of factors involved in the down-regulation of hormonal effects.

Down-regulation of hormonal effects is in the presented simulation related to the number of functional receptors and quantity of available hormonal stimulation. The former is in the model substituted with the quantity of stimulation able to produce a full down-regulation (Hs100) of target cells. The halftime (t1/2) of the hormonal effect recovery means the interval before the second hormonal stimulation can elicit half of the initial hormonal effect.

Spinous process-plasty following lumbar laminectomy as a contributing factor to spine stability.

A 10-year retrospective study of 41 consecutive patients who underwent "spinous process-plasty" is presented. We carried out laminectomy of the lumbar spine in cases of spinal stenosis, dorsomedial herniated disc and recurrent disc herniation with firm scars (traumatic and tumour cases are not included). To forestall the development of laminectomy's negative effects on spine stability, we initiated the spinous processes' reconstruction.

Mechanisms of prion diseases described as long-lasting disorders of the blood-brain barrier system.

Prison diseases can be described as disorders wherein circulating prion molecules of external origin intervene with the normal synthesis of similar molecules in the central nervous system. The hypothesis is that the endogenous prion-like molecules denote the blood-brain barrier discontinuity. In the case of barrier discontinuity, small numbers of hypothetical signal molecules enter circulation and attach to the receptor sites in the neighbouring blood vessels.