Clinical and histological correlation in the diagnosis of lipodermatosclerosis

Uvod: Lipodermatoskleroza je kronični fibrozirajući panikulitis povezan s venskom insuficijencijom. Kliničke manifestacije odnose se na zadebljanje i hiperpigmentaciju kože jedne ili obje noge. Karakteristična značajka kronične lipodermatoskleroze je pseudomembranozni tip nekroze masti, poznat većini patologa. Prikaz slučaja: Bolesnica je primljena radi obrade i liječenja sideropenične anemije. Kao glavne tegobe navodila je ljubičaste bolne potkožne nodule prisutne na potkoljenicama. Patohistološki nalaz bioptata kože upućivao je na lipodermatosklerozu. Bolesnica nije pristala na preporučenu terapiju. Zaključak: Pri kliničkoj sumnji na dijagnozu lipodermatoskleroze, bitno je učiniti biopsiju kože i patohistološku analizu bioptata, kako bi potvrdili dijagnozu, te isključili druge moguće uzroke.Introduction: Lipodermatosclerosis is a chronic fibrosing panniculitis associated with venous insufficiency. Clinical manifestation refers to the induration and hyperpigmentation of the skin on one or both legs. The characteristic feature of chronic lipodermatosclerosis is a pseudomembranous type of fat necrosis, known by most pathologists. Case report: A female patient was admitted for a diagnostic procedure and treatment of sideropenic anemia. The patient complained about purple subcutaneous painful nodules on the skin in the lower limbs. The pathohistological finding of skin biopsy indicated lipodermatosclerosis. Our patient didn’t accept any suggested therapy. Conclusion: When the diagnosis of lipodermatosclerosis is suspected, it is essential to do a biopsy of the affected skin and a pathohistological analysis, to support the diagnosis, while it can be confused with other panniculitides

Mjesto golemih podataka (Big Data) u rješavanju sve većih problema vakcinologije u 21. stoljeću

Vaccinology, as a great achievement of public health of the 20th century nowadays faces doubts, questions, and concerns that could be included in the term of vaccine hesitancy. The vaccinology in the 21st century is marked by the emerging anti-vaccine movements followed by a variety of attempts and approaches of professionals to resolve them. The globalization in health care on the one side and great technological achievements, on the other, create the possibilities where an enormous amount of data is publicly available. The professionals have based the benefits of vaccination on scientific data. Vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine movements declare that they have also based their policy on scientific data. On the first line of facing parental vaccine hesitancy are primary care pediatricians. They can testify their own limiting abilities to do so, as well as the limiting abilities of other professionals involved in vaccinology. In the situation of an enormous amount of data, they could be drowned out and interpreted in various ways. It is clear that the old-fashioned “defense” of the great public achievement of the 20 century - vaccinology - is no longer appropriate. On the other hand, a search of the literature shows the entry of “Big Data” into medicine in general and the public health and vaccinology. This paper attempts to position the role of Big Data (its benefits, traps, and ethical implications) in vaccinology in the 21st century based on the literature research and our propositions.Cijepljenje se danas, kao veliko dostignuće javnog zdravstva dvadesetog stoljeća, suočava s dvojbama, pitanjima i sumnjama koje se mogu povezati s pojmom neodlučnosti odnosno nesigurnosti. Vakcinologiju 21. stoljeća obilježava porast protuvakcinalnih pokreta koji su popraćeni odgovorima stručnjaka s različitih aspekata u cilju rješenja i odgovora. Globalizacija u zdravstvu s jedne strane, kao i velika tehnološka postignuća s druge strane, stvaraju okolnosti u kojima je enormna količina podataka javno dostupna. Stručnjaci temelje dobrobit cijepljenja na znanstvenim podatcima. Isto se tako i roditelji, koji su neodlučni po pitanju cijepljenja, kao i protivnici cijepljenja, također pozivaju na činjenicu da svoje stavove temelje na znanstvenim činjenicama. Pedijatri u primarnoj praksi prvi su koji se susreću s roditeljima koji su neodlični po pitanju cijepljenja, a sve više svjedoče nemogućnostima da im se suprotstave, kao i nemogućnostima drugih stručnjaka koji su uključeni u cijepljenje. U okolnostima u kojima postoji enormna količina podataka lako je izvući jedan određeni i interpretirati ga na različite načine. Jasno je kako stari način „obrane“ položaja cjepiva kao jednog od velikih postignuća 20. stoljeća nije više primjeren. S druge strane, istraživanje literature ukazuje da pojam golemi podatci (Big Data) naveliko ulazi u medicinu općenito kao i u područje javnog zdravstva i cijepljenja. Ovaj rad ima za cilj, temeljem istraživanja literature i stavova autora, pozicionirati ulogu golemih podataka, Big Data, (dobrobiti, zamke, etičke implikacije) u cijepljenju 21. stoljeća

New materials for separation of radioactive strontium from the sea water

Otpuštanje 90Sr umora i okeane kao posledica testiranja nuklearnog naouružanja i akcidenata u nuklearnim objektima podstaklo je razvoj novih, jednostavnijih i bržih metoda i materijala za njegovu separaciju. Monitoring morske vode u slučaju akcidentnesituacije, kao i dekontaminacija tečnog otpada koji sadrži morsku vodu, predstavljaju izuzetno zahtevne zadatke usled složenog hemijskog sastava i visokog saliniteta matriksa. U ovom radu dat je pregled najnovijih rezultata u oblasti razvoja materijala sapotencijalom selektivnog vezivanja Sr-jona iz morske vode. Diskutovani su mehanizmi vezivanja i performanse različitih materijala sa aspekta primene u praksi i perspektivnih pravaca budućih istraživanja.The release of 90Sr into the sea and oceans as a result of testing nuclear weapons and accidents in nuclear facilities has prompted the development of new, simpler and faster methods and materials for its separation. The monitoring of seawater in the event of an accident, as well as decontamination of liquid waste containing sea water, represent extremely demanding tasks due to the complex chemical composition and high salinity of the matrix. This paper presents an overview of the latest results in the field of material development with the potential for selective binding of Sr-ions from seawater. Mechanisms of binding and performance of different materials are discussed from the aspect of an application in practice and directions of future research.Proceedings: [http://vinar.vin.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/8681]XXX симпозијум ДЗЗСЦГ (Друштва за заштиту од зрачења Србије и Црне Горе), 2- 4. октобар 2019. године, Дивчибаре, Србиј

Apocrine Carcinoma of the Scalp with Aggressive Clinical Course – A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Primary cutaneus apocrine carcinoma is a rare malignancy with about 50 cases reported in the literature. Axilla is the most common site of occurrence, but locations like scalp, anogenital region, ear canal, chest, wrist, finger and eyelid have been described. The neoplasm presents itself as an asymptomatic, slow-growing, solid or cystic mass that varies in color. Most patients have a history of a long-standing neoplasm before the diagnosis is made. The disease is considered to have an indolent clinical course with favorable outcome although more than half of reported patients had regional lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis. Systemic dissemination to lung, bones, liver and brain is extremely rare with only 14 cases documented in the literature. Wide surgical excision with lymph node dissection upon confirmation of the lymph node metastases remains the only curable treatment. Care and management of the disseminated disease is still challenging. We report a case of a 65-year-old woman with a very aggressive apocrine carcinoma of the scalp prone to local recurrence and distant metastases to lung and bones

Efficient separation of strontium radionuclides from high-salinity wastewater by zeolite 4A synthesized from Bayer process liquids

The efficient, selective, and economical sorbents for the removal of Sr radionuclides are largely needed for the decontamination of effluents with high salinity. In this study, the removal of Sr was investigated using the zeolite produced from the Bayer process liquids. Based on the XRD, SEM/EDS analysis, the product was pure and highly crystalline zeolite 4A (Z4A). Removal of Sr was fast (5 min for 100% removal at 8.80 mg/L), with high maximum sorption capacity (252.5 mg/L), and independent on the initial pH in the range 3.5– 9.0. Specific sorption of Sr by protonated groups on the Z4A surface was operating in addition to ion-exchange with Na ions. The selectivity of Z4A decreased in the order Sr > Ca > K > Mg > Na. 84% of Sr was separated from seawater within 5 min, at the Z4A dose of 5 g/L, while efficiency increased to 99% using the dose of 20 g/L. Desorption of radioisotope 89Sr from seawater/Z4A solid residue was very low in deionized water (0.1–0.2%) and groundwater (0.7%) during 60 days of leaching. Z4A is a cost-effective, selective, and high-capacity medium for Sr removal, which provides high stability of retained radionuclides

Serum chitotriosidase: a circulating biomarker in polycythemia vera

Objectives: Serum chitotriosidase activity (CHIT1) is a biomarker of macrophage activation with an important role in inflammation-induced tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Macrophages have been described to play a crucial role in regulating pathological erythropoiesis in polycythemia vera (PV). The aim of this study was to evaluate CHIT1 in patients diagnosed with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). ----- Methods: Using fluorometric assay, we measured CHIT1 in 28 PV, 27 essential thrombocythemia (ET), 17 primary myelofibrosis (PMF), 19 patients with secondary myelofibrosis and in 25 healthy controls. ----- Results: CHIT1 was significantly higher in PV (p < .001) and post-PV myelofibrosis (MF) transformation (post-PV MF) (p = .020), but not in ET (p = .080), post-ET MF transformation (p = .086), and PMF patients (p = .287), when compared to healthy controls. CHIT1 in PV was positively correlated with hemoglobin (p = .026), hematocrit (p = .012), absolute basophil count (p = .030) and the presence of reticulin fibrosis in the bone marrow (p = .023). ----- Discussion: A positive correlation between CHIT1 and these distinct laboratory PV features might imply macrophages closely related to clonal erythropoiesis as cells of CHIT1 origin. In addition, a positive association between CHIT1 and reticulin fibrosis might indicate its potential role in PV progression. ----- Conclusion: CHIT1 might be considered as a circulating biomarker in PV. Additional studies are needed to clarify the role of CHIT1 in promoting disease progression and bone marrow fibrosis in PV