Impact of Pericoronary Microbiota Composition on Course of Recovery after Third Molar Alveotomy.

Although the role of microbiota has been investigated in relation to different oral diseases, it is unknown if its composition has any effect on the course of recovery after third molar alveotomy. Our aim was to determine the influence of patient clinical characteristics as well as pericoronary microbiota composition on the course of recovery after a semi-impacted third molar alveotomy. Thirty-six patients were included and samples obtained with paper points, swabs, and tissue samples were analyzed using DNA hybridization and culture methods.

Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease: a new definition of an old clinical entity.

Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease (PSVD) is defined as a vascular liver disease characterized by the absence of cirrhosis and the presence of characteristic histological features, with or without the presence of portal hypertension (PH). Half of the patients with PSVD also have associated disease that may contribute to the development of PSVD. Patients usually remain asymptomatic until complications of PH arise.

Validation of Baveno VII criteria for clinically significant portal hypertension by two-dimensional shear wave elastography.

Background: The Baveno VII consensus proposed criteria for the non-invasively diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD). The performance of Baveno VII criteria for assessing CSPH by two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) had not been well validated. We aimed to validate the performance of Baveno VII criteria for rule-in and rule-out CSPH by 2D-SWE.

Current Strategies for Treatment of Mandibular Fractures With Plate Osteosynthesis: A European Prospective Study.

Purpose: The training and preferences of surgeons influence the type of surgical treatment for mandibular fractures. This multicentre prospective study analyzed the current treatment strategies and outcomes for mandibular fractures with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF).

Material And Methods: This prospective study included patients aged ≥16 years who underwent ORIF for mandibular fractures in 12 European maxillofacial centers.

Prognostic Value of "Basal-like" Morphology, Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Multi-MAGE-A Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

"Basal-like" (BL) morphology and the expression of cancer testis antigens (CTA) in breast cancer still have unclear prognostic significance. The aim of our research was to explore correlations of the morphological characteristics and tumor microenvironment in triple-negative breast carcinomas (TNBCs) with multi-MAGE-A CTA expression and to determine their prognostic significance. Clinical records of breast cancer patients who underwent surgery between January 2017 and December 2018 in four major Croatian clinical centers were analyzed.

Evaluation of Absolute Neutrophil, Lymphocyte and Platelet Count and Their Ratios as Predictors of Thrombotic Risk in Patients with Prefibrotic and Overt Myelofibrosis.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic contribution of absolute neutrophil (ANC), lymphocyte (ALC), platelet count and their ratios, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), to thrombotic risk in patients with prefibrotic and overt fibrotic myelofibrosis (MF).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 256 patients with prefibrotic (85 patients) and overt fibrotic MF (171 patients) treated in six Croatian hematological centers.

Results: Prefibrotic compared to overt fibrotic MF patients presented with significantly higher ALC, platelet count and PLR, and experienced longer time to thrombosis (TTT).

Subepidermal Basal Cell carcinoma Following Laser Treatment of Congenital Capillary Malformation: A Case Report.

While basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer in humans, its subepidermal presentation is extremely rare. The risk factors for basal cell carcinoma development are well-known, but it remains unclear in which setting the tumor restricts itself to the dermal compartment. We present the fifth known case of subepidermal basal cell carcinoma.

ERS International Congress 2023: highlights from the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly.

Early career members of Assembly 2 (Respiratory Intensive Care) attended the 2023 European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. The conference covered acute and chronic respiratory failure. Sessions of interest to our assembly members and to those interested in respiratory critical care are summarised in this article and include the latest updates in respiratory intensive care, in particular acute respiratory distress syndrome and mechanical ventilation.

Improved Applicability and Diagnostic Accuracy of the Novel Spleen-Dedicated Transient Elastography Device for High-Risk Esophageal Varices.

Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) by transient elastography (TE) has been repeatedly demonstrated as the reliable way to rule out the presence of high-risk esophageal varices (HRV). We aimed to evaluate and compare novel vs. standard TE-SSM module performance in diagnosing HRV in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD).

Flexed position of the wrist in the cast reliably prevents displacement after physeal Salter-Harris I and II distal radius fractures.

Background: Salter-Harris I and II fractures of the distal radius are common injuries. In our facility, immobilisation is performed in a way that counteracts angulation forces. The aim of our study was to determine whether there are significant differences between patients with and patients without a loss of reduction treated with this method and to determine what degree of flexion reliably prevents secondary displacement.

Serum proteomic profiling of patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease with and without clinically significant portal hypertension.

Introduction: Portal hypertension (PH) drives the progression of liver cirrhosis to decompensation and death. Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement is the standard of PH quantification, and HVPG≥10 mmHg defines clinically significant PH (CSPH). We performed proteomics-based serum profiling to search for a proteomic signature of CSPH in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD).

Zolpidem Stimulant Effect and Dependence: A Case Report on Intranasal Use.

Zolpidem is a widely used hypnotic. Dependence on zolpidem due to the induction of euphoria is a rare condition, while intranasal misuse of zolpidem is a rather new phenomenon. We present the first case of a patient who developed zolpidem dependence, which was associated with the prompt onset of euphoria exclusively following intranasal use.

Are Dentists Hypocrites? Oral Self-care Habits and Self-reported Oral Health Status among Dentists and Non-dentists in Croatia.

Objectives: Dentists provide dental care to their patients and educate them on their oral hygiene and how to maintain oral health. This paper aimed to determine whether dentists are hypocritical when advising their patients on oral hygiene procedures and dental treatments because they do not apply to themselves what they recommend to others.

Material And Methods: This is a self-reported study conducted through an online survey questionnaire completed by 1001 participants, of whom 551 were non-dentists and 450 dentists.

Athlete biological passport: longitudinal biomarkers and statistics in the fight against doping.

As novel substances, short time windows, and limits of detection increasingly challenge direct methods of doping detection in sports, indirect tools inevitably take a greater role in the fight against it. One such tool is the athlete biological passport (ABP) - a longitudinal profiling of the measured haematological and biochemical biomarkers, combined with calculated scores, against the background of epidemiological data crucial for doping detection. In both of its modules, haematological and steroidal, ABP parameters are analysed with the Bayesian adaptive model, which individualises reference and cut-off values to improve its sensitivity.

Cortico-cortical evoked potentials of language tracts in minimally invasive glioma surgery guided by Penfield stimulation.

Objective: We investigated the feasibility of recording cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) in patients with low- and high-grade glioma. We compared CCEPs during awake and asleep surgery, as well as those stimulated from the functional Broca area and recorded from the functional Wernicke area (BtW), and vice versa (WtB). We also analyzed CCEP properties according to tumor location, histopathology, and aphasia.

Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population.

Background: The prolonged stress experience caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and two earthquakes led to increased alcohol and psychoactive substance use (PSU) accompanied by a decrease in mental wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) in the Croatian population. Our aim was to determine the relationship between alcohol and PSU and mental health outcomes including anxiety and depression, and QoL.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey conducted from September 30 to October 27, 2021, included 1,118 Croatian adults (220 men and 898 women; mean age, 35.