Risk factors for brain metastases in surgically staged IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy

mortality among patients with carcinomas. The aim of this study was to point out risk factors for brain metastases (BM) appearance in patients with IIIA (N2) stage of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with three-modal therapy. Methods. We analyzed data obtained from 107 patients with IIIA (N2) stage of NSCLC treated surgically with neoadjuvant therapy. The frequency of brain metastases was examined regarding age, sex, histological type and the size of tumor, nodal status, the sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy application and the type of chemotherapy. Results. Two and 3-year incidence rates of BM were 35% and 46%, respectively. Forty-six percent of the patients recurred in the brain as their first failure in the period of three years. Histologically, the patients with nonsquamous cell lung carcinoma had significantly higher frequency of metastases in the brain compared with the group of squamous cell lung carcinoma (46%: 30%; p = 0.021). Examining treatment-related parameters, treatment with taxane-platinum containing regimens was associated with a lower risk of brain metastases, than platinum-etoposide chemotherapy regimens (31%: 52%; p = 0.011). Preoperative radiotherapy, with or without postoperative treatment, showed lower rate of metastases in the brain compared with postoperative radiotherapy treatment only (33%: 48%; p = 0.035). Conclusion. Brain metastases are often site of recurrence in patients with NSCLC (IIIA-N2). Autonomous risk factors for brain metastases in this group of patients are non-squamous NSCLC, N1-N2 nodal status, postoperative radiotherapy without preoperative radiotherapy

Uv light impact on phthalates migration from children's toys into artificial saliva

Phthalates has been widely used in children?s toys as plastic plasticizers and softeners. Therefore, attention should be paid to plastic toys, especially those that children can put in their mouths. In this paper quantification of five phthalates: DMP, DnBP, BBP, DEHP and DnOP in plastic toys, as well as irradiation of toys with UV light was performed. After sample preparation and development of the liquid?liquid phthalate extraction method from artificial saliva phthalate quantitative determination using the GC?MS technique was performed. The mean recovery value for DEHP is 77.03?2.76 %. The determination of phthalate in the recipient models (artificial saliva and n-hexane) was performed after 6, 15 and 30 days of the migration test using the GC?MS technique. Based on the known mass % DEHP in the analyzed toys, the percentage of phthalate migration from each analyzed toy to the recipient model after 6, 15 and 30 days of the migration test was calculated. The results show that there is no significant migration of DEHP into artificial saliva, due to high polarity of the recipient (artificial saliva is polar), unlike n-hexane where the migration of DEHP is significant because it is a non-polar solvent

DETERMINING GEOMETRICAL PARAMETERS OF EXTERNAL WALLS ON LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WITH GABLE AND PITCHED ROOFS AND OPTIMIZATION OF ITS ECOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

This paper analyzes the influence of the implementation of an optimization process in the process of designing residential buildings in order to improve their performance. Optimization parameters which are interesting for this research are building orientation, window area, gable and pitched roofs and overhang. Based on acquired results, this paper gives conclusions on CO2 emissions and discomfort of lowrise residential buildings.Publishe

Campylobacter jejuni infection and IgE sensitization in up to 2-year-old infants

© 2015, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All rights reserved. Background/Aim. The “hygiene hypothesis” addresses the correlation between the occurrence of atopy and the frequency of infections in the earliest age, explaining an increase in the incidence of atopic diseases by living in good, infection-free, hygienic conditions. The aim of our study was to determine the conection between atopy and Campylobacter infection, and to analyze the association between serum concentrations of total IgE and Campylobacter infection in relation to atopy in children up to two years. Methods. A case control study was conducted with the sample of 98 infants of the average age of 8 months. Total serum IgE and Phadiatop infant multi-test were determined on Immunocap-100 (Phadia AB, Uppsala, Sweden). The presence of atopy was determined by detection of serumspecific IgE ≥ 0.35 kUA/L (Phadiatop infant positive) and serum IgM, IgA, IgG levels against C. jejuni were determined by a quantitative immuno-enzyme test-SERION ELISA classic. Results. Total IgE cut-off values ≥ 15 kU/L point to atopy in infants, and tIgE cut-off values ≥ 8.1 kU/L pointed to a C. jejuni infection in infants. Within the group of atopic children, tIgE levels ≥ 29.8 kU/L point to C. jejuni infection, and within the group of non-atopic children, tIgE levels ≥ 5.9 kU/L point to infection. Enteritis is not a predictor of C. jejuni infection, because of a high frequency of asymptomatic cases of infection. The risk factors for C. jejuni infection are age and tIgE, and the protective factors are breastfeeding and atopy. Conclusion. C. jejuni infection increases the total serum IgE level, which is predictive of infection, regardless of the presence of atopy. The presence of symptomatic C. jejuni infection reduces the risk of atopy in a child of the age of 5–24 months by the factor of 10

A rapid and reliable determination of doxycycline hyclate by HPLC with UV detection in pharmaceutical samples

An accurate, sensitive and reproducible high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the quantification of doxycycline hyclate in pharmaceutical samples has been developed and validated. The drug and the standard were eluted from a Lichrosorb RP-8 (250 mm´4.6 mm, 10 mm particle size) at 20 °C with a mobile phase consisting of methanol, acetonitrile and 0.010 M aqueous solution of oxalic acid (2:3:5, v/v/v). The flow rate was 1.25 ml min-1. A UV detector set at 350 nm was used to monitor the effluent. Each analysis required no longer than 4 min. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.15 and 3.84 μg ml-1, respectively. Recoveries for different concentrations ranged from 99.58 to 101.93 %

Wandering spleen-a possible cause of adrenal ”mass“-case report

Wandering spleen is a very rare clinical condition character-ized by spleen absence in the normal anatomical location in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen and its presence at another location in the abdomen or pelvis. The ectopic spleen is extremely rare in children, where its increased mobility is the result of a congenital disturbance of the fixation for the anterior wall due to the absence or weakness of the supporting ligaments. Wandering spleen is usually asymptomatic, but its torsion is possible, as well as infarction or rupture which demand an urgent diagnosis and surgical treatment. The diagnosis of wandering spleen can easily be overlooked due to low incidence and insufficient clinical experience, which multiplies patient's risk from life-threatening conditions. We present a case of wandering spleen in an 11-year-old girl with acute abdominal pain, which after ultrasound examination raised suspicion on the right adrenal gland tumor. Additional diagnostics verified an ectopic spleen in the right adrenal box, after which the recommended preventive splenopexy was seriously considered. Due to the fixation of the vital spleen in the new position, but also the negative attitude of the parents towards the surgical intervention, clinical monitoring was selected, with exclusion of intense physical activity that carries the risk of traumatization of the spleen. As the girl has been in good health for over 3 years and without symptoms, we consider that the selection of conservative access although difficult, was correct. We hope that our experience in treating wandering spleen in girls will increase the number of valid facts about this rare condition

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Pulp and Peel from Peach and Nectarine Fruits

Peach (Prunus persica L.) is a fruit of high nutritional and economic value. Carbohydrates, dietary fibers, minerals and organic acids are among the major constituents of peach fruit, which contribute to the nutritional quality of both fresh fruits and juice. Polyphenolic compounds found in peach may play an important role in physiological functions related to human health. Different polyphenolics may have varied biological activities including antioxidant activity. In this study antioxidant characteristics between peel and pulp of different peach cultivars (‘RadmilovÄanka’, ‘June Gold’, ‘Blake’, ‘Hale’, ‘Vesna’, ‘Adria’) and one of nectarine (‘Fantasia’) were investigated. The peel and pulp extracts showed a huge amount of total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), total hydroxycinnamates (TH) and total flavonols (TFL), ranging from 42.7-211.4, 11.1-128.5 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (f.w.) (TP), 21.9 -94.9, 5.0-58.9 mg CE/100 g f.w. (TF), 28.4-389.2, 8.5-165.8 mg kg-1 f.w. (TH) and 17.3-54 mg kg-1 f.w. (TFL). High contents of phenolic compounds were significantly correlated with high antioxidant capacities. Peach pulp and peel differ significantly in their phenolic profiles: the pulp contains mainly chlorogenic, neochlorogenic and p-coumaric acids, whereas the peel possesses chlorogenic, neochlorogenic and p-coumaric acids together with several flavonol glycosides in huge amounts. Our results indicate that cultivar and extraction solvent play important roles in phenolic compositions and antioxidant properties of peach and nectarine extracts, which was shown using statistical analysis (ANOVA). There are high correlations between extracted phenolic compounds and peach and nectarine cultivars, and used solvent and part of the fruit (peel and pulp)

Kinetic determination of morin nanoamounts

A kinetic-spectrophotometric method is proposed for the determination of morin. The method is based on the inhibition effect of morin on the oxidation of C6H5COONa by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the complex Fe(II)-AA(ascorbic acid), which acts as a catalyst. The concentration range for the determination of morin is one of the lowest achieved so far (a linear calibration graph was obtained for morin from 2.25522.55 ng cm-3). The limit of detection of the method is 0.28 ng cm-3. The relative error ranges between 1.42 to 5.10 % for the given concentration interval. Kinetic equations are proposed for the investigated process. The effects of certain foreign ions upon the reaction rate were determined in order to assess the selectivity of the method. The major advantages of this kinetic-spectrophotometric assay are its sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, speed and simplicity

INDIRECT HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA OF THE CHILD AGE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF SPHEROCYTOSIS

The hereditary spherocytosis is an inherited hemolytic anemia; it can be thecause of the hemolytic disease of nevvborns, infants and small children. The spherocytosisappears due to a defect in the structure of the specific plasma proteins ofthe erythrocyte membrane, that is, of the spectrin, and, as sometimes possible, of theankvrin as well. As a consequence of the intrinsic ("intracorpuscular") defect in themembrane, the erythrocytes at the hereditary spherocytosis, accumulate natrium ionsand water; thus, they become swollen and spherical two to three times than the normalerythrocytes. That is why they exhibit increased osmotic fragility and quickenedantihemolysis. The spherocytosis is most often revealed by perceiving the symptomsof the hemolytic anemia, that is, by the presence of anemia, indirect hyperbilirubinemia,a greater presence of natrium in the erythrocytes along with the simu-Itaneous reduction of the amount of kalium, the reduced osmotic resistance of theerythrocytes, mild hypersideremia and reticulocytosis in addition to the appearanceof spherocytes and splenomegaly. The paper presents the cases of three patients who,after being subjected to splenectomy, have shown the improvement of the generalstate as well as mitigation of the hemolytic anemia symptoms