Introduction/Aim: So far, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen four major epidemic waves that have affected more than 753 million people. Epidemiological studies have confirmed variability of clinical ...presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in these epidemic waves. During this period, virus mutations have contributed to greater challenges regarding treatment and prevention. The aim of the study is to determine the differences in clinical presentation, laboratory parameters, as well as the treatment outcome of patients suffering from COVID-19 during four different epidemic waves caused by different genotypic and phenotypic variants of SARS-CoV-2. Material and Methods: We conducted retrospective study in which data were collected from hospitalized patients at the University Clinical Centre of Serbia Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in the period between March 1, 2020 and December 1, 2021. Statistical analyses, socio-epidemiological, clinical, radiographic and laboratory characteristics of patients through different epidemic waves of COVID-19 were compared. Results: The study included 523 patients. Elevated body temperature was the first and the most common symptom of COVID-19 infection in all 4 epidemic waves, whereas cough and malaise were most common symptoms in the fourth wave. Cough was second most common symptom in third wave (p<0.05), following elevated body temperature, whereas malaise was second most common in the second wave. Diarrhea and nausea were significantly more common in the fourth wave compared to the previous waves (p=0.04 and p=0.02). Conclusion: Highest values of inflammatory biomarkers were found in the second and the fourth wave. The fourth wave was characterized by the largest number of hospitalized patients, and it represented the peak of the pandemic. Treatment options varied through the waves, and corticosteroid use was most common during the fourth epidemic wave in hospital conditions.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection in primary and recurrent chalazion. The study included 30 patients with primary and recurrent ...chalazion (37 cases) and 24 patients as a control group. Patients with primary and recurrent chalazion received intralesional injection of 0.1 to 0.2 mL triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL). Control group received intralesional injection of 0.1 to 0.2 mL 0.9% NaCl. Data on the lesion size, including digital color photography, lesion regression or recurrence, and complete ophthalmic examination were recorded at the time of injection and after a week or two until resolution or surgical excision. Success was defined as at least 80% decrease in size with no recurrence. Resolution of the lesion was found in 35 cases after one or two injections, with a mean time to resolution of 15.27 +/- 6.12 days. Subcutaneous injection of the steroid triamcinolone acetonide in primary and recurrent chalazion appears to be a simple and efficacious therapeutic option for chalazion.
Results: Among 20 patients who underwent PD overall morbidity rate was 35%, mortality rate was 0%, with pancreatic fistula in 30% of patients (Grade A and B - 20%; Grade C - 10%) according to the ...International study group for pancreatic fistula classification.
Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Its incidence is still increasing, particularly in developing countries. Recent progresses further strengthen the differences between low/middle and ...high-income countries. This situation calls for joint action to reduce inequities in cancer outcomes among the patients. The Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the Mediterranean Area (AROME) and the European School of Oncology (ESO), have initiated joint conferences devoted to access to innovations in oncology in the Mediterranean area. The heterogeneity of the economic, political and cultural situations of the different participating countries, offers the opportunity to develop consensus conference.
Cancer prevention and treatment strategies were discussed according to existing international guidelines. The Scientific committee prepared 111 questions with an objective to prioritize the access to treatments and innovations in low/middle-income Mediterranean countries. The results from the votes of 65 oncology experts, coming from 16 countries and 33 institutions have been analysed and access priorities classified accordingly.
Ninety six percent of the proposed general recommendations concerning national health care strategies, oncology education, and treatment organization were considered to be high priorities. Regarding access to systemic treatments, 41% of the drugs without validated predictive markers and 53% of those with validated predictive markers were considered to be 1st level priority. Only 4 biological tests were considered to be 1st level priority to access to innovation.
AROME-ESO consensus offers to cancer specialists from developing countries a basis for discussion with health authorities and payers on the prioritization of access to innovations in cancer care.
The application of lipases as catalysts in chemical reactions has been deterred by the high cost of isolation and purification of enzymes, the instability of their structure when they are isolated ...from their natural environment, contamination of products with residual protein, their sensitivity to process conditions, etc. These problems could be overcome using immobilized lipases. Immobilization is achieved by fixing enzymes to or within solid supports and as a result a heterogeneous system is obtained. The present paper reports on the immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase in hydrogels based on N-isopropylacrylamide and itaconic acid. Immobilization of lipase is carried out by two different methods. In the first method, lipase is added to the reaction mixture before polymerization and crosslinking (in situ polymerization), while in the second method the synthetized hydrogels are immersed in lipase solution and left to rich the equilibrium swelling. The specific activities of the immobilized lipase were determined in both cases and compared. The amount of the immobilized lipase is higher if the immobilization is carried out by immersing hydrogel in lipase solution. It was observed that in both cases lipase activity increases with an increase of the itaconic acid content up to 10 wt% and thereafter decreases. From the measurements of shear storage moduli (G') it was concluded that the increase of the itaconic acid content decreases the mechanical properties of the hydrogels. SEM analysis confirmed the highly porous structure of hydrogels. It was found that greater pores were achieved when the enzyme was immobilized by in situ polymerization. When the enzyme was immobilized by in situ polymerization the itaconic acid content had not great effect on the mass of the immobilized enzyme, except for the 100/0 sample. On the contrary, for the samples where the enzyme was immobilized by swelling, the increase of the itaconic acid content increases the mass of the immobilized enzyme. Concerning the activity of the immobilized lipase, the swelling degree and mechanical properties of the investigated hydrogels, the best results were performed by the 95/5 hydrogel sample.
U radu je ispitana imobilizacija lipaze iz Candida rugosa u pH- i temperaturno-osetljive hidrogelove N-izopropilakrilamida i itakonske kiseline razlicitog sastava i pod razlicitim uslovima. Aktivnost imobilisanog enzima je ispitana standardnom metodom na emulziji maslinovog ulja. Pracena je kinetika otpustanja enzima iz hidrogelova. Utvrdjeno je da na aktivnost imobilisane lipaze utice nacin imobilizacije i sastav hidrogelova. Znacajan uticaj ima i temperatura na kojoj se izvodi imobilizacija, tako da se sa promenom temperature menja i masa imobilisane lipaze kao i njena specificna aktivnost. Ispitana su mehanicka svojstva i morfologija sintetisanih hidrogelova.
The 30-s all-out Wingate test has been used in athletes of all sport specialties to measure the capacity for short duration, high power output while cycling. The aim of this study was to establish ...differences in measuring anaerobic capacity between the classic Wingate test on a cycling ergometer and the modified Wingate test on a rowing ergometer in rowers. A group of20 rowers was tested by both the cycle and rowing ergometers during 30s of maximum power to test anaerobic capacity and to make correlation between these tests. The parameters measured were the peak power and mean power. The peak power on the cycling ergometer was 475 +/- 75.1W and 522.4 +/- 81W (p < 0.05) on the rowing ergometer. The mean power on the cycling ergometer and the rowing ergometer was 344.4 +/- 51.1W and 473.7W +/- 67.2, (p < 0.05) respectively. The maximum values were achieved at the same time on both ergometers, but remained on the higher level till the end of the test on the rowing ergometer. By correlating the anaerobic parameters of the classic Wingate test and a modified Wingate test on the rowing ergometer a significant positive correlation was detected in the peak power (r = 0.63, p < 0.05) as well as in the mean power (r = 0.65, p < 0.05). The results show that the rowers achieved better results of the anaerobic parameters on the rowing ergometer compared to the cycling ergometer due to a better mechanical efficiency. It is concluded that the modified Wingate test on the rowing ergometer can be used in rowers for testing their anaerobic capacity as a sport specific test ergometer since it provides more precise results.
Successfulness of the business strategy implementation depends on numerous different success factors, especially those from the environment of the company. The way in which companies gather ...information on their environment, but also, the way in which they apply collected knowledge in their everyday business transactions, determines the competitiveness of the company in every industry. In this paper specificity of collecting and application of knowledge on business environment in the distributive trade sector will be described. Also, the results of the empirical research on the sample of trade companies in Croatia will be given. The results shows that the relation of the company towards knowledge on the business environment differs regarding to the branch of distributive trade in which the company belongs, but also regarding the presence of the company on the list of the top value creators in Croatia. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Alpha-lipoic acid is an organosulphur compound well-known for its therapeutic potential and antioxidant properties. However, the effective use of α-lipoic acid depends on biological plasma half-life ...and its preserving stability, which could be improved by encapsulation. In this study, α-lipoic acid was incorporated into chitosan microparticles obtained by reverse emulsion crosslinking technique, as well as into microparticles of alginate/gelatin crosslinked with zinc ions. Encapsulation of α-lipoic acid in both cases was carried out by swelling of synthesized dried microparticles by their dipping in a solution of the active substance under strictly controlled conditions. Encapsulation efficiency of α-lipoic acid obtained in this study was up to 53.9 %. The structural interaction of α-lipoic acid with the carriers was revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy In vitro released studies showed that controlled release of α-lipoic acid was achieved through its encapsulation into chitosan microparticles. The results of in vitro antioxidative activity assays of released α-lipoic acid indicated that antioxidant activity was preserved at a satisfactory level. These obtained results suggested that chitosan microparticles could be suitable for modeling the controlled release of α-lipoic acid. Keywords: Alpha-lipoic acid, Microparticles, Chitosan, Sodium alginate/gelatin, Antioxidant activity Alfa-liponska kiselina je organosumporno jedinjenje koje ima poznati terapeutski potencijal i izrazena antioksidativna svojstva. Relativno kratko poluvreme eliminacije i hemijska stabilnost α-liponske kiseline prema faktorima iz spoljasnje sredine mogu se modifkovati njenom inkapsulacijom na cvrste nosace. Alfa-liponska kiselina iz egzogenih izvora se brzo apsorbuje, distribuira do tkiva, odnosno celija u kojima se redukuje u dihidroliponsku kiselinu, a potom brzo uklanja iz celija i eliminise. Prema rezultatima in vitro i in vivo istrazivanja a-liponska kiselina kao i njen redukovani oblik, dihidrolipoinska kiselina, imaju izrazena antioksidantivna svojstva. U ovom radu izvrsena je inkapsulacija α-liponske kiseline u hitozanske mikrocestice dobijene reverznom emulzionom tehnikom. Takode, ispitana je i mogucnost inkapsulacije α-liponske kiseline u mikrocestice alginata i zelatina koje su umrezene jonima dvovalentnog cinka. Inkapsulacija α-liponske kiseline u oba nosaca izvrsena je metodom bubrenja, odnosno potapanjem sintetisanih suvih cestica nosaca u rastvor α-liponske kiseline pod strogo kontrolisanim uslovima. Interakcija α-liponske kiseline sa nosacima potvrdena je primenom infracrvene spektroskopije sa Furijerovim transformacijama. Nakon inkapsulacije α-liponske kiseline u ispitivane nosace in vitro studijom otpustanja u simuliranim uslovima gastrointestinalnog trakta potvrdeno je kontrolisano otpustanje α-liponske kiseline iz hitozanskih mikrocestica. Efikasnost inkapsulacije α-liponske kiseline iznosila je do 53,9 %. U in vitro eksperimentima pokazan je zadovoljavajuci nivo antioksidativne aktivnosti otpustene α-liponske kiseline iz hitozanskih mikrocestica. Ovi rezultati ukazuju da hitozanske mikrocestice mogu biti pogodni nosaci za kontrolisano otpustanje α-liponske kiseline. Kljucne reci: Alfa-liponska kiselina, mikrocestice, hitozan, natrijum alginat/zelatin, antioksidativna aktivnost
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