Helicobacter pylori on oral mucosa - topographic distribution

Svrha rada bila je ispitati topografsku distribuciju bakterije Helicobacter pylori na oralnoj sluznici u upalnim, ulceroznim i keratotičnim lezijama, kandidijazi i sindromu pečenja usta i usporediti s nalazom na zdravoj sluznici. Primijenili smo nested PCR na citološkim uzorcima uzetim s 9 topografski različitih mjesta oralne sluznice i s različitih oralnih lezija. Od ukupno 426 ispitanika njih 66 (15,49 %) imalo je pozitivan nalaz H. pylori na oralnoj sluznici, bez predilekcije po spolu, ali s većom čestoćom nalaza u starijih ispitanika u usporedbi s mlađima te gotovo jednakom distribucijom na svim ispitanim topografskim stranama oralne sluznice. H. pylori otkriven je u svim ispitanim lezijama i sindromu pečenja usta osim u kandidijazi s većom prevalencijom na sluznici dorzuma jezika i u ulceroznim lezijama, premda bez statistički znatne razlike između lezija i zdrave sluznice (p = 0,059). H. pylori nije patogen za oralnu sluznicu jer kolonizira gotovo s istom čestoćom zdravu i oboljelu oralnu sluznicu. Također ne postoje preferirana mjesta na oralnoj sluznici za naseljavanje H. pylori.The purpose of this study was to examine the topographic distribution of Helicobacter pylori on oral mucosa in various oral lesions such as inflammation, oral ulceration, keratosis, candidiasis and burning mouth syndrome in comparison with healthy oral mucosa. We applied nested PCR on cytologic specimens collected from 9 topographic sites of the healthy oral mucosa and from various oral lesions. Of a total 426 patients 66 (15.49 %) were positive for H. pylori,with no predilection for sex but with higher frequency in older patients, and with almost equal distribution on all examined topographic sites of the oral mucosa. H. pylori was detected in all examined diseases, except in candidiasis, with prevalence on tongue mucosa and in ulcerous lesions although without significant differences between lesions and healthy oral mucosa (p = 0.059). H.pylori is non-pathogenic for oral mucosa since it colonizes almost with the same frequency healthy and diseased oral mucosa. There is no preferential oral site or lesion for colonization of H. pylori

Chronology and integrated stratigraphy of the Miocene Sinj Basin (Dinaride Lake System, Croatia)

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o In the Miocene, the intra-montane basins of the Dinaric Mountain Chain harbored a series of long-lived lakes constituting the so-called Dinaride Lake System. The thick lacustrine sedimentary records of these lakes provide an excellent opportunity to study evolution and radiation of mollusks in an isolated environment. The 500 m thick infill that accumulated in the Sinj Basin is one of the key records because of its excellent mollusk preservation. Recent studies on the depositional history, pollen assemblages and large mammals have enhanced the understanding not only of Lake Sinj, but also of the regional climatic developments and faunal migratory patterns. A reliable chronology of the development of Lake Sinj, which is crucial for global correlation of its endemic realm, was still lacking. In this paper we present a detailed time-frame for the Miocene Sinj basin based on palaeomagnetic and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data. We conclude that deposition took place between 18.0 to 15.0 Ma, a time span that correlates with the upper Burdigalian and lower Langhian Mediterranean stages and Ottnangian, Karpatian and lowermost Badenian Paratethys stages. Furthermore, we determined the timing of several events in mollusk evolution, important for correlation across the Dinarides. An age of 15.0 Ma is attributed to the large mammals Conohyus and Gomphotherium, preserved in the upper part of the basin stratigraphy

Environmental Geotechnics: Challenges and Opportunities in the Post COVID-19 World

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic not only created a health crisis across the world but is expected to negatively impact the global economy and societies at a scale that maybe larger than the 2008 financial crisis. Simultaneously, it has inevitably exerted many negative consequences on the geoenvironment upon which human beings depend. The current article articulates the role of environmental geotechnics to elucidate and mitigate the effects of the current pandemic. It is the belief of all authors that the COVID-19 pandemic presents significant challenges, but also opportunities for the development of our field. Our discipline should make full use of our professional skills and expertise to look for development opportunities from this crisis, to highlight our discipline’s irreplaceable position in the global fight against pandemics, and to contribute to the health and prosperity of our communities, so as to better serve humankind. In order to reach this goal, while taking into account the specificity of the SARS-CoV-2 and the uncertainty of its environmental effects, it is believed that more emphasis should be placed on the following research directions: pathogen-soil interactions, isolation and remediation technologies for pathogen-contaminated sites, new materials for pathogen-contaminated soil, recycling and safe disposal of medical wastes, quantification of uncertainty in geoenvironmental and epidemiological problems, emerging technologies and adaptation strategies in civil, geotechnical, and geoenvironmental infrastructure, pandemic-induced environmental risk management, and model pathogen transport and fate in geoenvironment, among others. Moreover, COVID-19 has made it clear to the environmental geotechnics community the importance of urgent international cooperation and of multidisciplinary research actions that must extend to a broad range of scientific fields, including medical and public health disciplines, in order to meet the complexities posed by the COVID-19 pandemic

Integrating precision cancer medicine into healthcare—policy, practice, and research challenges

Abstract Precision medicine (PM) can be defined as a predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory healthcare service delivery model. Recent developments in molecular biology and information technology make PM a reality today through the use of massive amounts of genetic, ‘omics’, clinical, environmental, and lifestyle data. With cancer being one of the most prominent public health threats in developed countries, both the research community and governments have been investing significant time, money, and efforts in precision cancer medicine (PCM). Although PCM research is extremely promising, a number of hurdles still remain on the road to an optimal integration of standardized and evidence-based use of PCM in healthcare systems. Indeed, PCM raises a number of technical, organizational, ethical, legal, social, and economic challenges that have to be taken into account in the development of an appropriate health policy framework. Here, we highlight some of the more salient issues regarding the standards needed for integration of PCM into healthcare systems, and we identify fields where more research is needed before policy can be implemented. Key challenges include, but are not limited to, the creation of new standards for the collection, analysis, and sharing of samples and data from cancer patients, and the creation of new clinical trial designs with renewed endpoints. We believe that these issues need to be addressed as a matter of priority by public health policymakers in the coming years for a better integration of PCM into healthcare