CMJ joins the call of health journals for immediate actions on global environmental crisis

In early September 2021, more than 200 medical journals worldwide simultaneously published an editorial dealing with the dramatic impact of global warming on Earth’s ecosystems and human health (1). The editorial called for immediate concerted actions of policy-makers, especially health professionals, emphasizing their role in the efforts to prevent/alleviate further environmental harms. It was made publicly available ahead of three crucial events: the UN General Assembly meeting, UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, and the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgo

Tissue optical clearing methods for microscopy: A review of their application in neuroscience

Recent advances in microscopy have enabled cellular-resolution imaging of thick tissue samples or even whole organs. The natural opacity of organs and tissues acts as a barrier to light penetration and must be removed to visualise structures of interest on a three-dimensional scale. Tissue optical clearing methods achieve sample transparency while also preserving fluorescently labelled epitopes. This innovative approach to sample preparation effectively enhances traditional histological sections and, with the aid of light sheet microscopy, enables optical sectioning and three-dimensional reconstruction of entire organs, even whole brains. Light sheet microscopy of optically cleared brain samples is a valuable method in neuroscience that is used in neuro-oncology, traumatic brain injury, ischemic brain injury, and neurodegenerative disease research.In this review, we describe tissue optical clearing methods used to achieve optical transparency in brain samples. This quickly developing field has a significant potential for producing cutting-edge uses in neuroscience research

Why scholarly publishing might be a bubble

Why scholarly publishing might be a bubbl

Microbiological Analysis of a Mummy from the Archeological Museum in Zagreb

In this paper we report the results of the microbiological analysis of the samples taken from the mummy from the collection of the Archaeological museum in Zagreb, Croatia. Samples were taken from specific places such as oral, orbital, abdominal cavity and bandages surrounding the mummy, and analyzed in Department of Microbiology and Hospital Infections in University Hospital »Dubrava« in Zagreb and in National Reference Laboratory for systemic mycoses of Croatian National Institute of Public Health in Zagreb. The analysis indicated that all of the found organisms were non-primary pathogenic and are not harmful for healthy humans. Isolated microorganisms mainly belonged to the group of saprophytic fungi as listed: Monilia spp., Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Rhizopus spp. and Chrysosporium spp. and to the genus of saprophytic bacteria, Bacillus spp

Research priorities to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries

publishedVersio

Research priorities to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to the functioning of societies and their health systems. Prior to the pandemic, health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) were particularly stretched and vulnerable. The International Society of Global Health (ISoGH) sought to systematically identify priorities for health research that would have the potential to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs.MethodsThe Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method was used to identify COVID-19-related research priorities. All ISoGH members were invited to participate. Seventy-nine experts in clinical, translational, and population research contributed 192 research questions for consideration. Fifty-two experts then scored those questions based on five pre-defined criteria that were selected for this exercise: 1) feasibility and answerability; 2) potential for burden reduction; 3) potential for a paradigm shift; 4) potential for translation and implementation; and 5) impact on equity.ResultsAmong the top 10 research priorities, research questions related to vaccination were prominent: health care system access barriers to equitable uptake of COVID-19 vaccination (ranked 1st), determinants of vaccine hesitancy (4th), development and evaluation of effective interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy (5th), and vaccination impacts on vulnerable population/s (6th). Health care delivery questions also ranked highly, including: effective strategies to manage COVID-19 globally and in LMICs (2nd) and integrating health care for COVID-19 with other essential health services in LMICs (3rd). Additionally, the assessment of COVID-19 patients' needs in rural areas of LMICs was ranked 7th, and studying the leading socioeconomic determinants and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs using multi-faceted approaches was ranked 8th. The remaining questions in the top 10 were: clarifying paediatric case-fatality rates (CFR) in LMICs and identifying effective strategies for community engagement against COVID-19 in different LMIC contexts.InterpretationHealth policy and systems research to inform COVID-19 vaccine uptake and equitable access to care are urgently needed, especially for rural, vulnerable, and/or marginalised populations. This research should occur in parallel with studies that will identify approaches to minimise vaccine hesitancy and effectively integrate care for COVID-19 with other essential health services in LMICs. ISoGH calls on the funders of health research in LMICs to consider the urgency and priority of this research during the COVID-19 pandemic and support studies that could make a positive difference for the populations of LMICs

Disturbed expression of the osteoresorptive cytokine RANKL in patients with multiple sclerosis at clinical onset

Multipla skleroza (MS, prema engl. multiple sclerosis) je autoimuna upalna bolest središnjeg živčanog sustava u čijoj patogenezi imunološki faktori čine glavni mehanizam demijelinizacijskog oštećenja. Također, bolesnici koji boluju od MS imaju poremećenu koštanu pregradnju, što se najčešće pripisuje primjeni glukokortikoida i smanjenoj pokretljivosti. Hipoteza ovoga istraživanja je da u bolesnika koji boluju od MS, osim tih sekundarnih čimbenika osteoporoze, postoji pojačano djelovanje RANKL (prema engl. receptor-activator of nuclear factor-B ligand)/RANK-signala u sklopu primarnog autoimunog poremećaja. Stoga smo analizirali parametre koštane pregradnje i upale u perifernoj krvi i cerebrospinalnom likvoru u MS na kliničkom početku bolesti u odnosu na profil osteoresorptivne RANKL/RANK-osovine. Na početku bolesti snižena je likvorska koncentracija neutralizacijskog receptora OPG (prema engl. osteoprotegerin), čime se povećava biološka dostupnost čimbenika RANKL. U uznapredovaloj bolesti povećan je omjer RANKL/OPG i izražaj aktivacijskog RANK-receptora u krvi, što odražava povećan proresorptivni potencijal. Profil čimbenika osovine RANKL/RANK/OPG povezan je s izražajem imunosupresivnih citokina IL-4 i IL-10 te proupalnih kemokina CCL2 i CXCL12. Izražaj osteoresorptivnog čimbenika RANKL pozitivno korelira, a neutralizacijskog receptora OPG negativno korelira s težinom bolesti i aktivnošću alkalne fosfataze, što može upućivati na povezanost aktivnosti osovine, intenziteta bolesti i koštane izgradnje. S obzirom da osovina RANKL/RANK/OPG sudjeluje u patogenezi i progresiji MS, ti čimbenika mogli bi služiti kao biomarkeri bolesti i ciljne molekule novijih terapijskih postupaka.Multiple sclerosis (MS) is autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in which immunological factors play the crucial role of demyelinating damage. Also, patients with MS have deregulated bone remodelling, mainly caused by glucocorticoid treatment and reduced mobility. We hypothesized that, beside these secondary osteoporotic factors, MS patients have enhanced RANKL (receptor-activator of nuclear factor-B ligand)/RANK-signal as a part of underlying autoimmune disturbance. Therefore we analyzed the parameters of bone remodeling and inflammation in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid in MS patients at clinical onset in relation to osteoresorptive RANKL/RANK-axis. At MS clinical onset concentrations of decoy receptor OPG (osteoprotegerin) are decreased in cerebrospinal fluid, increasing the bioavailability of RANKL. Advanced MS is marked by higher RANKL/OPG ratio and activating RANK-receptor expression in peripheral blood, which suggests increased proresorptive potential. RANKL/RANK/OPG profile is associated with the expression of immunosuppressive cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 and proinflammatory chemokines CCL2 and CXCL12. Osteoresorptive factor RANKL is in positive, and decoy receptor OPG is in negative correlation with disease severity and alkaline phosphatase activity, interconnecting axis activity, disease intensity and bone formation. Since RANKL/RANK/OPG axis is involved in pathogenesis and progression of MS, these factors may serve as disease biomarkers and molecular targets of novel therapeutic approaches