Treatment of Pineal Region Lesions: Our Experience in 39 Patients

The pineal region is the origin of lesions with a highly diverse histopathology. The aim of this study was to present our experience in treating patients with the pineal region lesions. In period between 1990 and 2007, 39 patients with pineal region lesions were operated on at the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital »Sestre milosrdnice«, Zagreb, Croatia. The study group consisted of 21 female and 18 male patients with the median age of 24.4 years (4–66 years). Surgery was performed using the infratentorial supracerebellar approach in all patients. The pineal region lesions were removed totally in 23 (58.97%), subtotal in 14 (35.9%) and partially in 2 (5.13%) patients. Pathohistological examination revealed 13 pineocytomas (33.33%), 10 germinomas (25.64%), 7 glial cysts (17.94%), 3 pineoblastomas (7.69%), two pilocytic astrocytomas (7.69%) and one case (2.56%) of papilloma plexus chorioideus, epidermal cyst, yolk sack tumor and ganglioglioma. There was no surgical mortality. Thirteen patients (33.3%) experienced complications in the postoperative period. During the follow-up period that ranged from 3 to 48 months six patients died (15.4%). The infratentorial supracerebellar approach is a safe and effective surgical approach. Benign pineal lesions could be cured with surgery alone. In the case of malignant pineal lesions radical surgical resection allowed determining the exact pathohistological diagnosis and facilitated adjuvant therapy (irradiation and chemotherapy)

Treatment of Pineal Region Lesions: Our Experience in 39 Patients

The pineal region is the origin of lesions with a highly diverse histopathology. The aim of this study was to present our experience in treating patients with the pineal region lesions. In period between 1990 and 2007, 39 patients with pineal region lesions were operated on at the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital »Sestre milosrdnice«, Zagreb, Croatia. The study group consisted of 21 female and 18 male patients with the median age of 24.4 years (4–66 years). Surgery was performed using the infratentorial supracerebellar approach in all patients. The pineal region lesions were removed totally in 23 (58.97%), subtotal in 14 (35.9%) and partially in 2 (5.13%) patients. Pathohistological examination revealed 13 pineocytomas (33.33%), 10 germinomas (25.64%), 7 glial cysts (17.94%), 3 pineoblastomas (7.69%), two pilocytic astrocytomas (7.69%) and one case (2.56%) of papilloma plexus chorioideus, epidermal cyst, yolk sack tumor and ganglioglioma. There was no surgical mortality. Thirteen patients (33.3%) experienced complications in the postoperative period. During the follow-up period that ranged from 3 to 48 months six patients died (15.4%). The infratentorial supracerebellar approach is a safe and effective surgical approach. Benign pineal lesions could be cured with surgery alone. In the case of malignant pineal lesions radical surgical resection allowed determining the exact pathohistological diagnosis and facilitated adjuvant therapy (irradiation and chemotherapy)

Comparison of Methods for Soil Sampling and Carbon Content Determination

In this paper methods for sampling and analysis of total carbon in soil were compared. Soil sampling was done by sampling scheme according to agricultural soil monitoring recommendations. Soil samples were collected as single (four individual probe patterns) and composite soil samples (16 individual probe patterns) from agriculture soil. In soil samples mass ratio of total soil carbon was analyzed by dry combustion method (according to Dumas; HRN ISO 10694:2004) in Analytical Laboratory of Department of General Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb (FAZ) and by oxidation method with chromium sulfuric acid (modified HRN ISO 14235:2004) in Analytical laboratory of Croatian Center for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Department of Soil and Land Conservation (ZZT). The observed data showed very strong correlation (r = 0.8943; n = 42) between two studied methods of analysis. Very strong correlation was also noted between different sampling procedures for single and composite samples in both laboratories, and coefficients of correlation were 0.9697 and 0.9950 (n = 8), respectively

Hrvatski model integrativne prospektivne skrbi trudnoća u žena s epilepsijom

Epilepsy is the most common neurological complication in pregnancy. Women with epilepsy have a higher risk of complications in pregnancy. In Croatia, women with epilepsy are treated by neurologists at tertiary centers according to the place of residence. We prospectively followed-up pregnancies in women with epilepsy and healthy controls, and analyzed the factors responsible for their delivery outcomes and development of their babies. Healthy pregnant women had a higher level of education and economic status, but pregnant women with epilepsy took folic acid in a higher proportion than controls, possibly due to timely preconception counseling. Complications during pregnancy depended on the number of antiepileptic drugs and epilepsy control. We noticed some behavioral and cognitive aspects in children exposed in utero to valproic acid, which required follow up. The rate of congenital malformations was not increased. In conclusion, women with epilepsy should receive preconception counseling about the risk for pregnancy, but also about the possibilities to minimize that risk. We have introduced a model of integrative management of pregnancy and epilepsy based on close collaboration among different clinical experts in Croatia, in order to provide prompt counseling and timely intervention.Epilepsija je najčešća neurološka komplikacija u trudnoći. Žene s epilepsijom imaju veći rizik za komplikacije u trudnoći. U Hrvatskoj žene s epilepsijom obično prate neurolozi u tercijarnim centrima prema mjestu njihova boravka. Mi smo prospektivno pratili trudnoće u žena s epilepsijom i u zdravih kontrolnih trudnica te analizirali čimbenike odgovorne za ishode trudnoća i razvoj njihove djece. Zdrave trudnice su imale višu razinu obrazovanja i ekonomskog statusa, ali su žene s epilepsijom uzimale folnu kiselinu u višem postotku nego zdrave trudnice zahvaljujući pravodobnom predkoncepcijskom savjetovanju. Komplikacije za vrijeme trudnoće ovisile su o broju antiepileptičnih lijekova i kontroli epilepsije. Zamijetili smo određene bihevijoralne i kognitivne aspekte u djece izložene in utero valproičnoj kiselini, što zahtijeva daljnje praćenje. Stopa kongenitalnih malformacija nije bila povišena. U zaključku, ženama s epilepsijom trebali bismo omogućiti predkoncepcijsko savjetovanje o rizicima u trudnoći, ali i o mogućnostima kako značajno smanjiti taj rizik. Predstavili smo model integrativne prospektivne skrbi trudnica s epilepsijom koji se temelji na bliskoj suradnji različitih kliničkih eksperata u Hrvatskoj, u cilju osiguranja promptnog savjetovanja i pravodobne intervencije

With food to health : proceedings of the 9th International scientific and professional conference

Proceedings contains 7 original scientific papers, 8 professional papers and 1 review paper which were presented at "9th International Scientific and Professional Conference WITH FOOD TO HEALTH", organised in following sections: Nutrition, Dietetics and diet therapy, Food safety, Food analysis, Production of safe food and food with added nutritional value

Polish Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes toward Undergraduate Teaching and Practical Implementation of Pharmaceutical Care—A Cross Sectional Study

It is necessary to monitor and adapt pharmacy curricula to make graduates ready to effectively meet the health needs of the society. Therefore, the aim of the study was to obtain Polish final year pharmacy students’ opinions on the activities related to pharmaceutical care (PC) andtheir perception of PC. Two questionnaires were used: one evaluating a PC regarding classes and in practice (n = 64), and the other on the assessment of existing educational solutions in the field of professional counseling (n = 118). Statistical analysis showed that the students agreed that there are not enough hours of a PC classes, since these are necessary to enable them to provide PC services in the future (R = 0.05, p = 0.0007). In previous classes, teachers’ knowledge was rated the highest on a five-point scale (4.74), and role play (3.92) and the duration of the classes (3.77) were rated the lowest. Although the students were aware of the role of a PC in the work of a pharmacist, they indicated that more extensive use of active learning methods would better prepare them for the profession. Therefore, pharmacy students’ self-efficacy survey and a curriculum renewal would be recommended in Poland

Comparison of Methods for Soil Sampling and Carbon Content Determination

In this paper methods for sampling and analysis of total carbon in soil were compared. Soil sampling was done by sampling scheme according to agricultural soil monitoring recommendations. Soil samples were collected as single (four individual probe patterns) and composite soil samples (16 individual probe patterns) from agriculture soil. In soil samples mass ratio of total soil carbon was analyzed by dry combustion method (according to Dumas; HRN ISO 10694:2004) in Analytical Laboratory of Department of General Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb (FAZ) and by oxidation method with chromium sulfuric acid (modified HRN ISO 14235:2004) in Analytical laboratory of Croatian Center for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Department of Soil and Land Conservation (ZZT). The observed data showed very strong correlation (r = 0.8943; n = 42) between two studied methods of analysis. Very strong correlation was also noted between different sampling procedures for single and composite samples in both laboratories, and coefficients of correlation were 0.9697 and 0.9950 (n = 8), respectively

The Croatian model of integrative prospective management of epilepsy and pregnancy

Epilepsy is the most common neurological complication in pregnancy. Women with epilepsy have a higher risk of complications in pregnancy. In Croatia, women with epilepsy are treated by neurologists at tertiary centers according to the place of residence. We prospectively followed-up pregnancies in women with epilepsy and healthy controls, and analyzed the factors responsible for their delivery outcomes and development of their babies. Healthy pregnant women had a higher level of education and economic status, but pregnant women with epilepsy took folic acid in a higher proportion than controls, possibly due to timely preconception counseling. Complications during pregnancy depended on the number of antiepileptic drugs and epilepsy control. We noticed some behavioral and cognitive aspects in children exposed in utero to valproic acid, which required follow up. The rate of congenital malformations was not increased. In conclusion, women with epilepsy should receive preconception counseling about the risk for pregnancy, but also about the possibilities to minimize that risk. We have introduced a model of integrative management of pregnancy and epilepsy based on close collaboration among different clinical experts in Croatia, in order to provide prompt counseling and timely intervention