Evolution of Management and Investigations of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Croatia

The author presents the history of management of cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Croatia since the beginning of medical health service in the country in the 19th and its evolution to the end of the 20th century. The foundation of the Zagreb School of Medicine in 1917 had paramount importance for the development of neurology, during the first period within the common specialty of neuropsychiatry. The interest for the CVD in Croatia became evident in the sixties of the past century, particularly when neurology has become a separate specialty in 1974. Fast progress in the field of CVD resulted from clinical applications of basic research and after discovery of risk factors in their occurrence. These advances and the appearance of a new medical specialty: intensive medicine, stimulated in Croatia the organization of the first Neurological Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in 1971. Clinical experience and investigations of the first neurological ICU stimulated this approach to CVD in other big hospitals in Croatia and in the surrounding countries. The results of new management were presented on national and international meetings, especially on 5 Zagreb Symposia on CVD. The concept of comprehensive care for CVD patients was promoted, as a continuum of prevention, early treatment – if necessary in the ICU, followed by modern rehabilitation. The described efforts were stopped due to the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the last decade of the 20th century. The process has been reinstated with new enthusiasm and new teams at the beginning of the 21st century after the postwar consolidation in Croatia and in the region

Process analysis and yield enhancement for the production of beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-butyrate (HMB)

The purpose of this work was to develop an optimum chemical process philosophy for the manufacture of [beta]-hydroxy-[beta]-methyl-butyrate (HMB), using existing synthesis and purification schemes as a starting point. Process analysis and improvement were performed as a means to increase overall efficiency and to address environmental concerns;A protein breakdown suppresser, HMB is used as a nutritional supplement or as a feed additive. The current process which employs reaction of diacetone alcohol and sodium hypochlorite, separation of the product by batch extraction, and crystallization, displays very low efficiency and has to deal with waste disposal issues. Currently, the high costs of this process negatively infringe on the price of the product on the human market and constitute the main obstacle in fully exploiting the animal market;The first two steps, reaction and extraction, were studied in detail, as they are of crucial importance for the outcome and profit of the entire operation. Reaction kinetics and equilibrium were investigated experimentally in an effort to identify operating conditions such as temperature, reactant ratio, species concentration, solvent and salt effects that will result in an increased molar yield. A kinetic model is proposed and a computer simulation was performed that led to estimating the rate constant in the formation of HMB, which is necessary for reactor design. The current extraction technology was evaluated and it was concluded that its poor performance, with low product recovery and high solvent usage, can be attributed to both the batch and cross-current mode of operation and to the limitations of ethyl acetate as an extractant for HMB. A series of screening experiments was performed to identify solvents capable of providing superior partition coefficients and selectivities. Several physical extractants, such as methyl-ethyl ketone, hexanol and reactive extractants, such as methyl-ethyl ketone solutions of tertiary fatty amines and chloroform solutions of tri-octyl phosphine oxide, were found to display excellent HMB separation capacities;The results of this work demonstrate that the bleach/diacetone alcohol synthesis of HMB can be significantly improved by a combination of changes in both chemistry and equipment. Reaction yield can be increased from 50% to 72% in a tubular reactor operated at sub-ambient temperatures, at a NaOCl/substrate initial ratio of 3.7 and in the presence of chloride ions. By using a continuous, counter-current column and a reactive extractant, extraction efficiency can be enhanced by 19% and solvent consumption can be reduced to a half. Overall, product yield can be increased by 70%, material costs are reduced by 24% for the reaction and by 60% for extraction. Operating costs can be substantially diminished

Šest desetljeća međunarodnih neuropsihijatrijskih kongresa u Puli - od neuropsihijatrije do graničnih područja neurologije i psihijatrije: mozak i um

In 2010, the International Neuropsychiatric Pula Symposia, from 2005 Congresses (INPS/INPC), founded in 1961 by Zagreb and Graz University Neuropsychiatry Departments, celebrated their 50th anniversary of successful development. The co-author of the paper, Boško Barac, witnessed their growth from 1966, collaborating in their organization from 1974 with the first Secretary General Gerald Grinschgl; elected for his successor after his unexpected death in 1985, he was leading the Kuratorium (Scientific Board) as Secretary General for 23 years, collaborating in this period with his Austrian partner and friend Helmut Lechner. In 2007, Barac handed over this responsible function to the co-author Vida Demarin. Starting when neuropsychiatry was a unique discipline, the INPC followed the processes of emancipation of neurology and psychiatry and their evolution to independent disciplines with new subspecialties. These respectable conferences greatly surpassed the significance of the two disciplines, neurology and psychiatry, granting collaboration of borderland medical and non-medical disciplines, connecting experts from the region, European countries and the world. Inaugurated in ‘cold-war’ times, in their first phase they enabled to make professional and human contacts between scientists from the two divided ‘blocs’ thanks to the ‘non-aligned’ position of the then Yugoslavia, fostering the ideas of mutual understanding and collaboration. On the other hand, the scientific development of the meetings took in the center of their study fields connecting the two disciplines, giving a quite unique quality to these meetings. For many years, the meetings cherished specific neurologic and psychiatric topics, at the same time planning increasing important topics of the ‘borderland areas’ in their programs. For the important achievements, they earned the title of the Pula School of Science and Humanism, promoting interdisciplinary scientific collaboration important for humanistic goals of medicine. Medicine, as science and practice, although founded on biological grounds, is primarily a human activity serving to individual man and the whole human race. Modern neurology and psychiatry are no longer restricted to diagnosing and curing brain and nerves or psychiatric disorders, and are nowadays important as a science of human mind and discipline caring about the human brain, the complex organ of each individual man, collective human consciousness and our mental life. Such atmosphere contributed to the fall of the totalitarian, narrow-minded political, ideological or nationalistic thinking, aiming to tolerance and humane democratic developments in the united Europe and the preparation for peaceful living of various nations, races, religions and viewpoints in the 21st century.Međunarodni neuropsihijatrijski Pulski simpoziji, od 2005. godine Kongresi (INPS/INPC), osnovani 1961. godine od strane neuropsihijatrijskih klinika u Zagrebu i Grazu, 2010. godine proslavili su svoju pedesetu godišnjicu uspješnog postojanja. Boško Barac, koautor ovoga rada, svjedočio je njihovom rastu od 1966., sudjelujući u organizaciji od 1974. s prvim glavnim tajnikom Geraldom Grinschglom te je izabran za njegovog nasljednika nakon njegove iznenadne smrti. Tijekom 23 godine je vodio Kuratorium u suradnji sa svojim austrijskim partnerom i prijateljem Helmutom Lechnerom. Godine 2007. Barac je predao svoju odgovornu funkciju koautorici Vidi Demarin. Počevši od kada je neuropsihijatrija bila jedinstvena disciplina, INPC je pratio process emancipacije neurologije i psihijatrije i njihov razvoj u neovisne discipline s novim subspecijalizacijama. Ove ugledne konferencije uvelike nadmašuju važnost samih disciplina, neurologije i psihijatrije, omogućujući suradnju graničnih medicinskih i nemedicinskih disciplina, spajajući stručnjake iz regije, Europe i svijeta. Inauguriran za vrijeme “hladnog rata”, u svojoj prvoj fazi omogućavao je profesionalni i ljudski kontakt među znanstvenicima dvaju “blokova” zahvaljujući “nesvrstanom” položaju Jugoslavije, udomljujući ideje međusobnog razumijevanja i suradnje. Znanstveni razvoj ovih sastanaka je s druge strane povezivao dvije discipline dajući im jedinstvenu kvalitetu. Dugi niz godina njegovane su specifične neurološke i psihijatrijske teme, uz istodobno planiranje posvećivanja programa “graničnim područjima”. Zbog svojih postignuća dobila je zasluženi naslov Pulska škola znanosti i humanizma, promovirajući interdisciplinarnu suradnju važnu za humanističke ciljeve u medicini. Medicina, kao znanost i praksa, iako temeljena na biološkoj osnovi, primarno je humana aktivnost koja služi pojedincu i cijelom ljudskom rodu. Moderna neurologija i psihijatrija više nisu ograničene na dijagnosticiranje i liječenje mozga i živaca ili psihijatrijskih poremećaja, već su danas važne kao znanosti ljudskog uma i kao discipline koje se brinu o ljudskom mozgu, složenom organu svakog pojedinca, zajedničke ljudske svijesti i našem mentalnom životu. Takva je atmosfera doprinijela padu totalitarnog, uskoumnog političkog, ideološkog ili nacionalističkog razmišljanja, u cilju tolerancije i humanog demokratskog razvoja u Europi i pripreme za miran suživot različitih nacija, rasa i religija u 21. stoljeću

Seismic Refraction Method

Seismic methods are applied primarily in order to determine quasi-homogeneous zonesaccording to parameters of fragmentation, physical and chemical weathering anddeformability of rock masses and cohesionless soil. Applied seismic methods comprisesending impulses underground and registering the resulting refracted arrivals from subsurfaceinterfaces on a number of receivers positioned on or near the surface. Times elapsed fromsending to receiving seismic waves depend on depths of studied structures and propagationvelocities of seismic waves along paths of their propagation from the source to the refractor(or reflector) to the receiver.This paper presents two examples of preparation of seismic sections as a basis forgeotechnical design of foundations. Both examples are presentations of an optimum programof exploratory boring supplemented by results of deep seismic refraction studies.Results of geophysical investigations should be included in the data obtained bygeological mapping, which will in correlation with drilling results complete the picture ofgeological structure of terrain and facilitate categorization of materials and rocks for thepurpose of developing the engineering and hydrogeological profile as a base for designers inthe project execution stage

Mechanism of renal phosphate retention during growth

Mechanism of renal phosphate retention during growth. We have previously demonstrated that the retention of phosphate required for growth is due to a a high Vmax of the Na+-Pi cotransport system located in the brush border membrane of the proximal tubule. Because of this and other similarities between adaptation of the kidney to a high Pi demand (growth) and that to low Pi supply, we measured the levels of NaPi-2 mRNA and cDNA present in kidney cortex of 3- and > 12-week-old rats. Like in Pi depletion, Western blots revealed that a 80 to 85kDa protein recognized by a polyclonal antibody directed against the N-terminal region of the NaPi-2 protein was 2.3-fold more abundant in renal microvilli of the young than of adult animals. However, unlike in Pi depletion, Northern blot analysis failed to reveal a significant difference between mRNA levels at the two ages. Furthermore, suppression of NaPi-2 mRNA activity by annealing with antisense oligomers, or removal of the NaPi-2 transcripts by subtractive hybridization did not affect the rate of Na+-Pi cotransport induced in oocytes by polyA RNA of rapidly growing animals, while abolishing the ability of the renal cortical polyA RNA of adult rats to encode for Na+-Pi cotransport. RT-PCR of subtracted polyA RNA using primers specific for a region conserved in NaPi type II (Pi modulated) cotransporters yielded a product that was 98% homologous with that region, despite the absence of NaPi-2 cDNA. The results of these experiments demonstrate that the polyA RNA from kidneys of young animals contains unique mRNA transcripts able to encode for a NaPi protein homologous to, but distinct from NaPi-2

The Influence of Pregnancy on Development and Course of Chronic Relapsing Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Rats: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, which mainly affects young women during a reproductive period of life. Since, its symptoms might be significantly affected by pregnancy, in this study we investigated the development and kinetics of disease in the model of chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CR-EAE), induced in genetically susceptible Dark Agouti (DA) strain of rats. They were sensitized with bovine brain white matter homogenate (BBH) in complete Freund’s adjuvant during the first, second or third week of pregnancy, and the disease scores were compared between treatment groups, and identically treated nongravid females. Additionally, the susceptibility to the induction of EAE was tested in offspring of mothers that during the pregnancy were sensitized with BBH. The data have shown that pregnancy does not block the induction of EAE, but that it significantly changes the course of diseases, depending on time of immunization. In rats sensitized during the first week of gestation the onset of the clinical signs was delayed, but after the delivery the intensity of disease significantly increased. Similar aggravation, with appearance of monophasic form of disease was observed in the group of rats sensitized during the third week of gestation. On the contrary, in rats sensitized during the second week of gestation the beneficial effects were observed, with later onset of attacks, and lower disease score. Furthermore, offspring of these rats after immunization with BBH developed a monophasic form of EAE of lower intensity, suggesting that some protective factors might be transferred across the placenta