Vascularisation of the geniculate ganglion

Background: Lack of the relevant data in the literature and possible clinical significance of the geniculate ganglion vasculature inspired us to examine the vessels of this ganglion. Materials and methods: Twelve temporal bones were taken during autopsy and microdissected. Four geniculate ganglions were taken as well, serially sectioned and used for haematoxylin-eosin and trichrome staining, and for CD34 immunostaining. Results: The geniculate ganglion was supplied by the petrosal artery, which averaged 1.1 in number, 0.44 mm in the outer diameter, 0.24 mm in the luminal diameter, and 17.1 mm in length. The artery approached the greater petrosal nerve, giving off 1–3 twigs to it with a mean diameter of 24 μm, and entered the nerve hiatus or a small bone opening close to the ganglion. Before the artery continued to the tympanic segment of the facial nerve, it gave rise to 1 (8.33%), 2 (75.00%) or 3 (16.67%) branches to the geniculate ganglion, which ranged in diameter between 18 μm and 56 μm (mean 29 μm). From the formed superficial network, several twigs penetrated the ganglion and built an intraganglionic plexus. The counting, performed in microscopic fields, each measuring 341.7 μm × 250.0 μm in size, contained between 20 and 38 (mean 28.1) ganglion cells, as well as from 87 to 143 microvessels (mean 99.8), so that the neuron/vessel ratio was 1:3.6. Conclusions: This is the first detailed examination of the geniculate ganglion vasculature. The obtained data could be of clinical importance, especially in relation to the Bell’s palsy, ganglionitis, geniculate neuralgia, petrous bone imaging, and operations in the same region.

Brain and art: illustrations of the cerebral convolutions. A review

Background: Aesthetics and functional significance of the cerebral cortical relief gave us the idea to find out how often the convolutions are presented in fine art, and in which techniques, conceptual meaning and pathophysiological aspect.Materials and methods: We examined 27,614 art works created by 2,856 authors and presented in art literature, and in Google images search.Results: The cerebral gyri were shown in 0.85% of the art works created by 2.35% of the authors. The concept of the brain was first mentioned in ancient Egypt some 3,700 years ago. The first artistic drawing of the convolutions was made by Leonardo da Vinci, and the first colour picture by an unknown Italian author. Rembrandt van Rijn was the first to paint the gyri. Dozens of modern authors, who are professional artists, medical experts or designers, presented the cerebralc onvolutions in drawings, paintings, digital works or sculptures, with various aesthetic, symbolic and metaphorical connotation. Some artistic compositions and natural forms show a gyral pattern. The convolutions, whose cortical layers enable the cognitive functions, can be affected by various disorders. Some artists suffered from those disorders, and some others presented them in their artworks.Conclusions: The cerebral convolutions or gyri, thanks to their extensive cortical mantle, are the specific morphological basis for the human mind, but also the structures with their own aesthetics. Contemporary authors relatively often depictor model the cerebral convolutions, either from the aesthetic or conceptual aspect. In this way, they make a connection between the neuroscience and fineart

Changes in hospital treatment of children and adolescents with mental health problems

This is the peer-reviewed version of the article: Pejovic-Milovancevic, M.; Grujicic, R.; Stojkovic, A.; Radosavljev-Kircanski, J. Changes in Hospital Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Problems. Gen. Hosp. Psychiatry 2020, 64, 108–109. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2019.05.003

DTA0100, dual topoisomerase II and microtubule inhibitor, evades paclitaxel resistance in P-glycoprotein overexpressing cancer cells

The efficacy of microtubule targeting agents in cancer treatment has been compromised by the development of drug resistance that may involve both, P-glycoprotein overexpression and the changes in beta-tubulin isoforms' expression. The anti-Topoisomerase II activity of methyl 4-((E)-2-(methoxycarbonyl)vinyloxy)oct-2-ynoate (DTA0100) was recently reported. Herein, we further evaluated this propargylic enol ether derivative and found that it exerts inhibitory effect on tubulin polymerization by binding to colchicine binding site. DTA0100 mitotic arrest properties were investigated in two multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines with P-glycoprotein overexpression (colorectal carcinoma and glioblastoma). The sensitivity of multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines to DTA0100 was not significantly changed in contrast to microtubule targeting agents such as paclitaxel, vinblastine and colchicine. DTA0100 clearly induced microtubule depolymerization, leading to disturbance of cell cycle kinetics and subsequent apoptosis. The fine-tuning in beta-tubulin isoforms expression observed in multi drug resistant cancer cells may influence the efficacy of DTA0100. Importantly, DTA0100 blocked the Pglycoprotein function in both multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines without inducing the increase in Pglycoprotein expression. Therefore, DTA0100 acting as dual inhibitor of Topoisomerase II and microtubule formation could be considered as multi-potent anticancer agent. Besides, it is able to overcome the problem of drug resistance that emerges in the therapeutic approaches with either Topoisomerase II or microtubule targeting agents.Related to published version: [https://imagine.imgge.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1079]This is the peer reviewed version of the paper: Podolski-Renić, A., Banković, J., Dinić, J., Rios-Luci, C., Fernandes, M. X., Ortega, N., Kovačević Grujičić, N., Martin, V. S., Padron, J. M., & Pesić, M. (2017). DTA0100, dual topoisomerase II and microtubule inhibitor, evades paclitaxel resistance in P-glycoprotein overexpressing cancer cells. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 105, 159–168. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2017.05.011

Electrochemical properties of composites of graphene-oxide and cobalt-ferrite doped with zink and gallium

U ovom radu prikazana su elektrohemijska svojstva kompozita grafen-oksida i nanočestica kobalt-ferita, kao i kobalt-ferita dopiranog sa cinkom i galijumom. Grafen-oksid (GO) sintetisan je modifikovanom Hamerovom metodom. Magnetne nanočestice sintetisane su solvotermalnom metodom, nakon čega je izvršena izmena oleinske kiseline dihidrokofeinskom kiselinom sa ciljem dobijanja hidrofilnog materijala. Kompoziti grafen-oksida i magnetnih nanočestica sintetisani su hidrotermalnom metodom, prilikom čega je udeo magnetnih čestica bio 5 i 15 težinskih % u odnosu na grafen-oksid. Rezultati rendgeno-strukturne i FTIR analize potvrdili su potpunu oksidaciju grafenskih slojeva. SEM i TEM analize pokazale su depoziciju magnetnih nanočestica na sloju grafen-oksida, bez promene veličine ili oblika nanočestica. FTIR analiza hidrotemalno tretiranog grafen-oksida i kompozita pokazala je da dolazi do delimične redukcije epoksi grupa, kao i da se uspostavlja vodonična veza između komponenti kompozita. Ciklovoltamogrami pokazuju da su kompoziti stabilni pri brzinama polarizacije od 5 do 400 mV s-1, kao i da je njihov kapacitet pretežno pseudokapacitivne prirode. Pseudokapacitivnost potiče od oksidoredukcionih reakcija H+ jona iz elektrolita i površinskih funkcionalnih grupa grafen oksida. Na osnovu ciklovoltamograma izračunati su specifični kapaciteti svih kompozita, pri čemu je najveću vrednost pokazao kompozit CFO_GO_15% koja iznosi 36,86 F g-1 pri brzini polarizacije od 5 mV s-1.This paper presents the electrochemical properties of graphene-oxide composites and nanoparticles of cobalt-ferrite, as well as cobalt-ferrite doped with zinc and gallium. Graphene-oxide (GO) was synthesized by a modified Hummer's method. The magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by the solvothermal method, after which the oleic acid was exchanged with dihydrocaffeic acid to obtain the hydrophilic material. Composites of graphene-oxide and magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, where the share of magnetic particles was 5 and 15 wt.% on graphene-oxide. The results of X-ray structural and FTIR analysis confirmed the complete oxidation of graphene layers. SEM and TEM analyzes showed deposition of magnetic nanoparticles on the graphene-oxide layer, without changing the size or shape of the nanoparticles. FTIR analysis of hydrothermally treated graphene oxide and composites showed that there is a partial reduction of epoxy groups, also a hydrogen bond is established between the components of the composite. Cyclic voltammograms show that the composites are stable at polarization rates of 5-400 mV s-1, and that their capacity is predominantly pseudocapacitive in nature. Pseudocapacitance originates from the oxidoreduction reactions of H+ ions from electrolytes and surface functional groups of graphene-oxide. Based on the cyclic voltammograms, the specific capacities of all composites were calculated and the highest value being shown by the CFO_GO_15% composite, which is 36.86 F g-1 at a polarization rate of 5 mV s-1

Association of GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases: A preliminary study

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are chronic conditions initiated by the loss of immunological tolerance to self-antigens. The aim of this study was to detrmine how polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferases T1 and M1 (GSTT1 and GSTM1) genes influences on the occurrence of two autoimmune diseases: multiple sclerosis (MS) and Hashimoto's thyroditis (HT). A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the deletions in GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes. Our results showed that patients with ADs had significantly higher (p 0.05). This study suggests the potential role of GSTM1 deletion on ADs susceptibility, but on the other hand this study should be repeated in other patients with the same or similar diagnosis of ADs

Inpatient care in Serbia: trends in hospitalization and diagnostics over time

This is the peer-reviewed version of the article: Pejovic Milovancevic, M.; Kesic, A.; Grujicic, R.; Stojkovic, A.; Zivotic, S.; Stupar, D.; Borovnica, V.; Radosavljev-Kircanski, J.; Manojlovic, I.; Stojiljkovic, D. J. Inpatient Care in Serbia: Trends in Hospitalization and Diagnostics over Time. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018, 27 (12), 1645–1651. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1191-3

A Machine-Learning-Based Approach to Prediction of Biogeographic Ancestry within Europe

Data obtained with the use of massive parallel sequencing (MPS) can be valuable in population genetics studies. In particular, such data harbor the potential for distinguishing samples from different populations, especially from those coming from adjacent populations of common origin. Machine learning (ML) techniques seem to be especially well suited for analyzing large datasets obtained using MPS. The Slavic populations constitute about a third of the population of Europe and inhabit a large area of the continent, while being relatively closely related in population genetics terms. In this proof-of-concept study, various ML techniques were used to classify DNA samples from Slavic and non-Slavic individuals. The primary objective of this study was to empirically evaluate the feasibility of discerning the genetic provenance of individuals of Slavic descent who exhibit genetic similarity, with the overarching goal of categorizing DNA specimens derived from diverse Slavic population representatives. Raw sequencing data were pre-processed, to obtain a 1200 character-long binary vector. A total of three classifiers were used—Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and XGBoost. The most-promising results were obtained using SVM with a linear kernel, with 99.9% accuracy and F1-scores of 0.9846–1.000 for all classes

The politics of performance: transnationalism and its limits in former Yugoslav popular music, 1999–2004

This paper examines transnational relations between the Yugoslav successor states from the point of view of popular music, and demonstrates how transnational musical figures (such as Djordje Balaševi?, Mom?ilo Bajagi?-Bajaga and Ceca Ražnatovi?) are interpreted as symbolic reference points in national ethnopolitical discourse in the process of identity construction. Another symbolic function is served by Serbian turbofolk artists, who in Croatia serve as a cultural resource to distance oneself from a musical genre associated by many urban Croats with the ruralization (and Herzegovinization) of Croatian city space. In addition, value judgements associated with both Serbian and Croatian newly composed folk music provide an insight into the transnational negotiation of conflicting identities in the ex-Yugoslav context. Ultimately the paper shows how the ethnonational boundaries established by nationalizing ideologies created separate cultural spaces which themselves have been transnationalized after Yugoslavia's disintegration

Variation in postoperative outcomes of patients with intracranial tumors: insights from a prospective international cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: This study assessed the international variation in surgical neuro-oncology practice and 30-day outcomes of patients who had surgery for an intracranial tumor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We prospectively included adults aged ≥18 years who underwent surgery for a malignant or benign intracranial tumor across 55 international hospitals from 26 countries. Each participating hospital recorded cases for 3 consecutive months from the start of the pandemic. We categorized patients’ location by World Bank income groups (high [HIC], upper-middle [UMIC], and low- and lower-middle [LLMIC]). Main outcomes were a change from routine management, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 30-day mortality. We used a Bayesian multilevel logistic regression stratified by hospitals and adjusted for key confounders to estimate the association between income groups and mortality. Results: Among 1016 patients, the number of patients in each income group was 765 (75.3%) in HIC, 142 (14.0%) in UMIC, and 109 (10.7%) in LLMIC. The management of 200 (19.8%) patients changed from usual care, most commonly delayed surgery. Within 30 days after surgery, 14 (1.4%) patients had a COVID-19 diagnosis and 39 (3.8%) patients died. In the multivariable model, LLMIC was associated with increased mortality (odds ratio 2.83, 95% credible interval 1.37–5.74) compared to HIC. Conclusions: The first wave of the pandemic had a significant impact on surgical decision-making. While the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection within 30 days after surgery was low, there was a disparity in mortality between countries and this warrants further examination to identify any modifiable factors