Investigation of Saint John`s Wort effects on changes in skin parameters after damage caused by the exposure to ultraviolet radiation

Cilj istraživanja: Svrha ovog istraživanja bila je utvrditi postojanje zaštitnih učinaka gospine trave na poremećaje funkcije kože izazvane izlaganjem UV zrakama. Ispitanici i metode: Proveden je randomizirani kontrolirani pokus koji se odvijao na Medicinskom fakultetu u Splitu u razdoblju od 1. veljače do 1. svibnja 2019. godine, a koji je obuhvatio 28 zdravih ispitanika bez dijagnosticiranih kožnih bolesti. Ispitivana područja kože bila su na objema podlakticama ispitanika. Korišten je uređaj MPA 6 (Courage+Khazaka, Koln, Njemačka) s tri sonde za mjerenje TEWL (engl. transepidermal waterloss) vrijednosti, vlažnosti kože, eritema te melanina. Doza UV zračenja koja se primjenjivala na podlaktici bila je 3 J/cm². Korištena su dva pripravka od kojih je jedan sadržavao aktivni sastojak (Hypericum perforatum), a drugi je bio placebo. Rezultati: Nisu pronađene statistički značajne razlike u ispitanim parametrima kože (eritem, vlažnost kože, melanin i TEWL) između skupine koja je koristila pripravke gospine trave u odnosu na placebo skupinu. Zaključci: Naše istraživanje pokazalo je da gospina trava nema zaštitnih učinaka na poremećaje funkcije kože izazvane izlaganjem UV zrakama te da je potrebno u budućnosti provesti više istraživanja na ovu temu.Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of protective effects of Hypericum perforatum on skin function disorders caused by exposure to UV rays. Subjects and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Medical School in Split during the period from 1st of February until 1st of May 2019, which included 28 healthy subjects without diagnosed skin diseases. The examined areas of the skin were on both forearms of the examinees. A MPA 6 (Courage + Khazaka, Koln, Germany) device was used with three probes for measuring the TEWL (transepidermal waterloss) value, skin moisture, erythema and melanin. The UV radiation dose applied to the forearm was 3 J / cm². Two preparations were used, one containing the active ingredient (Hypericum perforatum), the other being the placebo. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in the tested skin parameters (erythema, skin moisture, melanin and TEWL) between group that used Saint John`s Wort formulation in comparison with the placebo group. Conclusions: Our research has shown that Saint John`s Wort has no protective effects on skin function disorders caused by the exposure to UV radiation and that there is a need for further research in the future on this topic

Investigation of Saint John`s Wort effects on changes in skin parameters after damage caused by the exposure to ultraviolet radiation

Cilj istraživanja: Svrha ovog istraživanja bila je utvrditi postojanje zaštitnih učinaka gospine trave na poremećaje funkcije kože izazvane izlaganjem UV zrakama. Ispitanici i metode: Proveden je randomizirani kontrolirani pokus koji se odvijao na Medicinskom fakultetu u Splitu u razdoblju od 1. veljače do 1. svibnja 2019. godine, a koji je obuhvatio 28 zdravih ispitanika bez dijagnosticiranih kožnih bolesti. Ispitivana područja kože bila su na objema podlakticama ispitanika. Korišten je uređaj MPA 6 (Courage+Khazaka, Koln, Njemačka) s tri sonde za mjerenje TEWL (engl. transepidermal waterloss) vrijednosti, vlažnosti kože, eritema te melanina. Doza UV zračenja koja se primjenjivala na podlaktici bila je 3 J/cm². Korištena su dva pripravka od kojih je jedan sadržavao aktivni sastojak (Hypericum perforatum), a drugi je bio placebo. Rezultati: Nisu pronađene statistički značajne razlike u ispitanim parametrima kože (eritem, vlažnost kože, melanin i TEWL) između skupine koja je koristila pripravke gospine trave u odnosu na placebo skupinu. Zaključci: Naše istraživanje pokazalo je da gospina trava nema zaštitnih učinaka na poremećaje funkcije kože izazvane izlaganjem UV zrakama te da je potrebno u budućnosti provesti više istraživanja na ovu temu.Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of protective effects of Hypericum perforatum on skin function disorders caused by exposure to UV rays. Subjects and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Medical School in Split during the period from 1st of February until 1st of May 2019, which included 28 healthy subjects without diagnosed skin diseases. The examined areas of the skin were on both forearms of the examinees. A MPA 6 (Courage + Khazaka, Koln, Germany) device was used with three probes for measuring the TEWL (transepidermal waterloss) value, skin moisture, erythema and melanin. The UV radiation dose applied to the forearm was 3 J / cm². Two preparations were used, one containing the active ingredient (Hypericum perforatum), the other being the placebo. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in the tested skin parameters (erythema, skin moisture, melanin and TEWL) between group that used Saint John`s Wort formulation in comparison with the placebo group. Conclusions: Our research has shown that Saint John`s Wort has no protective effects on skin function disorders caused by the exposure to UV radiation and that there is a need for further research in the future on this topic

Bacteroides fragilis bakterijemija u atipičnoj prezentaciji akutnog apendicitisa

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies and atypical presentation can delay its diagnosis. We report a case of a patient with Bacteroides fragilis bacteremia with a 5-day fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Blood cultures warned physicians to extend the diagnostics with computed tomography that revealed acute appendicitis.Akutni apendicitis jedno je od najčešćih hitnih kirurških stanja, a atipična prezentacija može odgoditi dijagnozu. Prikazujemo slučaj bolesnika s Bacteroides fragilis bakterijemijom te petodnevnom temperaturom, povraćanjem i proljevom. Hemokulture su upozorile liječnike da prošire dijagnostiku kompjutoriziranom tomografijom koja je pokazala da se radi o akutnom apendicitisu

Investigation of Saint John`s Wort effects on changes in skin parameters after damage caused by the exposure to ultraviolet radiation

Cilj istraživanja: Svrha ovog istraživanja bila je utvrditi postojanje zaštitnih učinaka gospine trave na poremećaje funkcije kože izazvane izlaganjem UV zrakama. Ispitanici i metode: Proveden je randomizirani kontrolirani pokus koji se odvijao na Medicinskom fakultetu u Splitu u razdoblju od 1. veljače do 1. svibnja 2019. godine, a koji je obuhvatio 28 zdravih ispitanika bez dijagnosticiranih kožnih bolesti. Ispitivana područja kože bila su na objema podlakticama ispitanika. Korišten je uređaj MPA 6 (Courage+Khazaka, Koln, Njemačka) s tri sonde za mjerenje TEWL (engl. transepidermal waterloss) vrijednosti, vlažnosti kože, eritema te melanina. Doza UV zračenja koja se primjenjivala na podlaktici bila je 3 J/cm². Korištena su dva pripravka od kojih je jedan sadržavao aktivni sastojak (Hypericum perforatum), a drugi je bio placebo. Rezultati: Nisu pronađene statistički značajne razlike u ispitanim parametrima kože (eritem, vlažnost kože, melanin i TEWL) između skupine koja je koristila pripravke gospine trave u odnosu na placebo skupinu. Zaključci: Naše istraživanje pokazalo je da gospina trava nema zaštitnih učinaka na poremećaje funkcije kože izazvane izlaganjem UV zrakama te da je potrebno u budućnosti provesti više istraživanja na ovu temu.Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of protective effects of Hypericum perforatum on skin function disorders caused by exposure to UV rays. Subjects and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Medical School in Split during the period from 1st of February until 1st of May 2019, which included 28 healthy subjects without diagnosed skin diseases. The examined areas of the skin were on both forearms of the examinees. A MPA 6 (Courage + Khazaka, Koln, Germany) device was used with three probes for measuring the TEWL (transepidermal waterloss) value, skin moisture, erythema and melanin. The UV radiation dose applied to the forearm was 3 J / cm². Two preparations were used, one containing the active ingredient (Hypericum perforatum), the other being the placebo. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in the tested skin parameters (erythema, skin moisture, melanin and TEWL) between group that used Saint John`s Wort formulation in comparison with the placebo group. Conclusions: Our research has shown that Saint John`s Wort has no protective effects on skin function disorders caused by the exposure to UV radiation and that there is a need for further research in the future on this topic

Bacteroides fragilis bakterijemija u atipičnoj prezentaciji akutnog apendicitisa

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies and atypical presentation can delay its diagnosis. We report a case of a patient with Bacteroides fragilis bacteremia with a 5-day fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Blood cultures warned physicians to extend the diagnostics with computed tomography that revealed acute appendicitis.Akutni apendicitis jedno je od najčešćih hitnih kirurških stanja, a atipična prezentacija može odgoditi dijagnozu. Prikazujemo slučaj bolesnika s Bacteroides fragilis bakterijemijom te petodnevnom temperaturom, povraćanjem i proljevom. Hemokulture su upozorile liječnike da prošire dijagnostiku kompjutoriziranom tomografijom koja je pokazala da se radi o akutnom apendicitisu

Validation of Diagnostic Accuracy and Disease Severity Correlation of Chest Computed Tomography Severity Scores in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia

The aim of our study was to establish and compare the diagnostic accuracy and clinical applicability of published chest CT severity scoring systems used for COVID-19 pneumonia assessment and to propose the most efficient CT scoring system with the highest diagnostic performance and the most accurate prediction of disease severity. This retrospective study included 218 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and chest CT. Two radiologists blindly evaluated CT scans and calculated nine different CT severity scores (CT SSs). The diagnostic validity of CT SSs was tested by ROC analysis. Interobserver agreement was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.982–0.995). The predominance of either consolidations or a combination of consolidations and ground-glass opacities (GGOs) was a predictor of more severe disease (both p < 0.005), while GGO prevalence alone was not. Correlation between all CT SSs was high, ranging from 0.848 to 0.971. CT SS 30 had the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.805) in discriminating mild from severe COVID-19 disease compared to all the other proposed scoring systems (AUC range 0.755–0.788). In conclusion, CT SS 30 achieved the highest diagnostic accuracy in predicting the severity of COVID-19 disease while maintaining simplicity, reproducibility, and applicability in complex clinical settings

Ružička days : International conference 19th Ružička Days “Today Science – Tomorrow Industry” : Proceedings

Dear colleagues, we are extremely honoured to present to you the Proceedings of the international conference 19th Ružička Days, which was successfully held on September 21–23, 2022, in Vukovar, Croatia, in the hometown town of our famous Croatian scientist and first Nobel laureate, professor Leopold (Lavoslav) Ružička. The main goals of the Conference were to promote excellence, originality and innovation of interdisciplinary scientific research as well as the practical application of the obtained results through collaboration with industry, emphasizing thus the recognizable slogan of the Ružička Days conference: "Today Science – Tomorrow Industry". In addition, the Conference gave the opportunity for meetings, exchanging the ideas, opinions, experiences and cooperation among participants from different working surroundings. It is also important to point out that since 2008, within the international conference Ružička Days, Meeting of Young Chemists has also been held, where high school students, with the help of their mentors, present papers in the field of chemistry, with the aim to direct students and young people to the technical and natural sciences, especially chemistry. In its seventh issue (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) the Proceedings publishes scientific and professional full papers of high quality in the following sections: Chemical analysis and synthesis (10), Chemical and biochemical engineering (3), Food technology and biotechnology (4), Chemistry in agriculture and forestry (1), Environmental protection (9) and 8th Meeting of Young Chemists (3). Full-length papers were subjected to an international review procedure done by eminent experts from the corresponding fields, to whom we express our gratitude, but they were not subjected to linguistic proofreading. On behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committee of the 19th Ružička Days we cordially thank all the authors, reviewers, participants, lecturers, organizers, especially the international organizers EuCheMS and EHEDG, auspices and sponsors, and all the others who, in any way, supported the Conference and contributed to the preparation of the Proceedings, especially to our highly skilled and committed associates, who have put a lot of effort in the preparation of these Proceedings. At the very end, special thanks to our young, future scientists and their mentors who are faithful participants of the Meeting of Young Chemists of the Ružička Days conference. Enjoy the extremely interesting scientific and professional papers contained in these Proceedings, until the next 20th jubilee of Ružička Days in 2024! We are looking forward to meeting you again in Vukovar! Yours sincerely, Chief Editors Jurislav Babić Vesna Ocelić Bulatović Dajana Kučić Grgi