The importance of continuous feeding on the quality of perennial flower seedlings

In this paper was examined the influence of organo-mineral fertilizer (OMF) on the quality of seedlings of perennial flower species: Gaillardia aristata Pursh (Arizona sun), Delfinium elatum L. (Magic Fountains Mix) and Lupinus polyphillus L. (Lupini Mix ApeX). The research was conducted during 2021 in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade. The paper examines the effect of application of commercial organo mineral fertilizer Fitofert humstart 4:12:5 in different doses: control (without application), 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.6% and 1.4% on the following developmental characteristics of selected plants: plant height (cm), above ground mass (g), number and mass of leaves (g), number of flower branches, number and size of flowers/inflorescences (cm). The results indicate that with the application of OMF were obtained well-developed plants seedlings. The best quality of Gaillardia aristata seedlings was achieved when OMF was applied in doses of 0.6 - 1.4%, Delfinium elatum in doses of 0.3% - 1% and Lupinus polyphillus in doses of 0.1 - 0.6%. Also, the obtained results indicate the need for further research, through the inclusion of a larger number of species in order to find the most optimal dose of application from the point of both the quality of produced plants and economic viability

Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis: association with insulin resistance and apolipoprotein E polymorphism.

The aim of this study is examining the relationship between the presence of insulin rОsТstaЧМО (IR) aЧН tСО ε4 allОlО ТЧ tСО APOE РОЧО, ТЧНОpОЧНОЧtlв aЧН assШМТatОН with the existence, severity and pattern of cognitive impairment in patients with MS. According to our hypothesis the existence of cognitive impairment is positively МШrrОlatОН аТtС tСО prОsОЧМО ШП ТЧsulТЧ rОsТstaЧМО aЧН / Шr ε4 allОlО ШП tСО APOE РОЧО. Methods: Clinical observational cross-sectional study includes 81 patients diagnosed with clinically definite MS with RR disease course. The total group of respondents is composed of subgroups: 50 patients are receiving the immunomodulatory therapy IFNβ1b (Betaferon) from the moment of diagnosis and 31 patients did not, until the beginning of the study, receive any therapy that modifies the natural course of the disease. In all subjects we determined: the presence of insulin resistance (HOMA index); glucose intolerance using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); the APOE gene polymorphisms; cognitive status using four neuropsychological tests taken from a neuropsychological battery, "The Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests", which examined the most frequently impaired cognitive domains. Results: The presence of cognitive impairment was 39.51.The most common is episodic memory impairment, in 67% of patients. Significantly higher incidence of patients with poor achievements in the visual memory test was in the group with an impaired glucose tolerance. (80% vs. 54.10%, p = 0.04). We determined a significant independent negative ОППОМt ШП tСО prОsОЧМО ШП ε4 allОlО ТЧ tСО ApШE РОЧО ШЧ tСО ШММurrОЧМО ШП ЦТlН МШРЧТtТvО impairment (OR = 5:55; 95% CI, 0.96-32.25, p = 0.049). TСО prОsОЧМО ШП tСО ε4 allОlО represents 5.5 times the risk that the patient will develop a mild cognitive deficit independently from the presence of IR indicators. It was found that the predictors of mild cognitive deficits and memory impairment were female sex, longer illness duration, fewer relapses and more progressive course of the disease. The predictors of cognitive impairment are longer and more progressive course of the disease. Application of the immunomodulatory therapy IFNβ1 sСШаОН ЧШ assШМТatТШЧ аТtС aЧв ШП tСО tОstОН parameters. Conclusion: This study examines for the first time the association between glucose and insulin metabolic disorders with the presence and characteristics of cognitive impairment in RR MS, indepenНОЧtlв aЧН assШМТatОН аТtС tСО ОбТstОЧМО ШП ε4 allОlОs ТЧ tСО APOE РОЧО. A ЦШrО ПrОquОЧt prОsОЧМО ШП ε4 allОlО aЦШЧР patТОЧts аТtС ЦТlН cognitive deficit in comparison to the cognitively preserved ones makes them a group of interest for further observation because of the possible greater vulnerability to future cognitive impairment. The study contributes to the early detection and better understanding of cognitive impairment in MS which is present from the earliest stages of the disease. This is important in predicting the course of the disease,the degree of functional disability and represents an important factor in determining the therapy that alters the natural course of the disease

Alzheimer dementia: A problem of individuals, families, medicine and society

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Insulin resistance in drug naive patients with multiple sclerosis

Background/Aim. Due to the fact that there is a relatively small number of data related to systemic insulin abnormalities in the multiple sclerosis (MS), the main objective of our study was to determine whether a dysbalance of glucose and insulin metabolism exist in patients with natural course of MS. Our hypothesis was that the metabolic disorder that characterizes state of the insulin resistance (IR) and reduced insulin sensitivity (IS) in untreated patients with MS could play a role in disease progression and degree of functional disability. Methods. The study included 31 patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS and 14 healthy controls from the same geographic area matched by age, ethnicity and number of smokers. The glucose tolerance, IS, and IR were examined using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and using basal plasma glucose and insulin levels. The functional disability and disease progression were evaluated by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS). Results. The MS patients tolerated glucose equally well as the healthy controls. Basal concentrations of insulin were significantly higher in the MS group (p < 0.05), as well as insulin plasma level 30 min after oral glucose load (p < 0.01). The patients with MS had significantly higher values of homeostasis model assessment indexes of IR (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.027; p = 0.028). The percentage of IS (HOMA2 %S) and whole body IS index (ISI Matsuda) showed significantly lower values in the MS patients than in the controls (p = 0.005; p = 0.001). The insulinogenic index in the first 30 min of OGTT was significantly higher in MS patients (p = 0.005). The measures of functional disability and MS progression did not correlate significantly with the investigated parameters of IR and IS indexes. Conclusion. This study demonstrates for the first time the existence of hyperinsulinemia, reduced insulin sensitivity and normal glucose tolerance that indicate the initial phase of IR in the natural course of MS. Additional research is necessary in order to define the mechanisms of occurrence and the impact of IR on the complex pathophysiological processes in MS

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: A case report

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by the following symptoms: seizures, impaired consciousness and/or vision, vomiting, nausea, and focal neurological signs. Diagnostic imaging includes examination by magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT), where brain edema is visualized bi-laterally and symmetrically, predominantly posteriorly, parietally, and occipitally. Case report. We presented a 73-year-old patient with the years-long medical history of hipertension and renal insufficiency, who developed PRES with the symptomatology of the rear cranium. CT and MR verified changes in the white matter involving all lobes on both sides of the brain. After a two-week treatment (antihypertensive, hypolipemic and rehydration therapy) clinical improvement with no complications occurred, with complete resolution of changes in the white matter observed on CT and MR. Conclusion. PRES is a reversible syndrome in which the symptoms withdraw after several days to several weeks if early diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment started without delay

Bilateral hippocampal infarction and amnesia: A case report

The hippocampus along with other structures of the medial temporal lobe plays an important role in the process of learning and memory consolidation. Bilateral hippocampal lesions lead to persistent anterograde amnesia while unilateral damage results in milder, content-specific forms of amnesia. Hippocampus may be affected by an acute or chronic pathologic process from a wide spectrum of neurological disorders. Case report. A 61-year-old female patient with a long history of hypertension, glucose intolerance, hypercholesterolemia and depression was hospitalized for acute anterograde amnesia, which led to repeated excessive drug taking. By further examinations that included laboratory tests, electroencephalography, Doppler sonography of intra- and extracranial vessels and neurovisualization methods [multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain] bilateral hippocampal ischemia that occurred at different times was detected. Cognitive and neuropsychological evaluation revealed an isolated severe damage of episodic memory with the inability of retention of new information which persisted at the control examination three months later. The assumed mechanism of occurrence of ischemia in this case could be arterio-arterial embolism. Conclusion. Although ischemic stroke is one of the most common neurological diseases, ischemic stroke of the hippocampus is rare, the isolated bilateral presentation with clinical signs of severe amnestic syndrome in particular. Timely recognition and modern therapeutic approach could have a favorable impact on the recovery from severe neurological, cognitive deficit. It could be suggested that in patients with the clinical image of acute anterograde amnesia and vascular risk factors the MSCT examination of the brain with computed tomography perfusion and angiography is performed immediately upon hospitalization

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy

Introduction. Fast and precise diagnostics of the disease from the large group of adult leukoencephalopathy is difficult but responsible job, because the outcome of the disease is very often determined by its name. Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is caused by the mutation of Notch 3 gene on chromosome locus 19p13. Beside the brain arterioles being the main disease targets, extracerebral small blood vessels are affected by the pathological process. Clinically present signs are recurrent ischemic strokes and vascular dementia. CADASIL in its progressive form shows a distinctive pattern of pathological changes on MRI of endocranium. The diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of granular osmiophilic material (GOM) in histopathological skin biopsies. Case reports. Two young adult patients manifested ischemic strokes of unknown etiology, cognitive deterioration, migraine and psychopathological phenomenology. MRI of endocranium pointed on CADASIL. Ultrastructural examination of skin biopsy proved the presence of GOM in the basal lamina and near smooth muscle cells of arteriole dermis leading to CADASIL diagnosis. The presence of GOM in histopathological preparation is 100% specific for CADASIL. The patients were not searched for mutation in Notch 3 gene on chromosome 19, because some other leukoencephalopathy was disregarded. Conclusion. Suggestive clinical picture, distinctive finding of endocranium MRI, the presence of GOM by ultrastructural examination of histopathological skin biopsies are sufficient to confirm CADASIL diagnosis