Oksitocinski receptori u paraventrikularnom jedru hipotalamusa u autonomnoj kontroli kardiovaskularnog sistema

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is an important integrative site of neuroendocrine control of the circulation. Herein I investigate the role of oxytocin receptors (OTRs) in the PVN in cardiovascular homeostasis. Experiments were performed in conscious male Wistar rats equipped with a radiotelemetric device. The PVN was unilaterally co-transfected with an adenoviral vector (Ad) engineered to over-express OTRs along with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) tag. Control groups were PVN transfected with an Ad expressing eGFP alone or untransfected, sham rats (Wt). Rats were recorded without and with selective blockade of OTRs (OTX), both under baseline and stressful conditions. Baro-receptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) and cardiovascular short-term variability were evaluated using the sequence method and spectral methodology, respectively. Under baseline conditions OTR rats exhibited enhanced BRS and reduced blood pressure (BP) variability in comparison to eGFP and Wt rats. Exposure to stress increased BP, BP variability and heart rate (HR) in all rats. In eGFP and Wt rats, but not in OTR rats, BRS decreased during exposure to stress. Pre-treatment of OTR rats with OTX reduced BRS and enhanced BP and HR variability under baseline and stressful conditions. In Wt rats pre-treated with OTX, BRS was decreased and BP variability was increased under baseline and stress while HR variability was increased only during stress. OTRs in PVN are involved in tonic neural control of BRS and cardiovascular short-term variability. The failure of this mechanism could critically contribute to autonomic deregulation in cardiovascular disease.Paraventrikularno jedro hipotalamusa (PVN) predstavlja vaţan integrativni centar neuroendokrine kontrole cirkulacije. U radu je ispitivana uloga oksitocinskih receptora (OTR) u PVN-u u homeostazi kardiovaskularnog sistema.Eksperimenti su izvođeni na budnim, odraslim muţjacima Wistar soja pacova, kojima je ugrađen radiotelemetrijski uređaj radi praćenja i beleţenja kardiovaskularnih parametara. Primenom tehnike in vivo genskog transfera, u PVN su jednostrano ubrizgani adenovirusni vektori, konstruisani tako da sadrţe informaciju potrebnu za sintezu OTR i obeleţivača-zelenog fluorescentnog proteina (OTR grupa).Jednoj grupi kontrolnih ţivotinja je u PVN izvršen genski transfer adenovirusnih vektora koji dovode do ekspresije samo obeleţivača (eGFP grupa), dok je druga grupa kontrolnih ţivotinja ostala netransfecirana (Wt grupa). Snimanja kardiovaskularnih parametara su vršena u stanju mirovanja i tokom izlaganja stresu, i to na ţivotinjama kojima u PVN nije ubrizgavan selektivni antagonist oksitocinskih receptora (OTX), ali i na ţivotinjama čiji su paraventrikularni oksitocinski receptori blokirani primenom OTX. Senzitivnost baroreceptorskog refleksa (BRS) određivana je metodom sekvenci, dok je u proceni kratkoročnog varijabiliteta kardiovaskularnog sistema korišćena spektralna analiza. Tokom mirovanja, kod ţivotinja u OTR grupi zabeleţeno je povećanje BRS, kao i smanjenje varijabiliteta krvnog pritiska u poređenju sa eGFP i Wt grupom. Izlaganje stresu je u svim grupama dovelo do povećanja vrednosti krvnog pritiska, srčane frekvencije, kao i varijabiliteta krvnog pritiska . U eGFP i Wt grupi, ali ne i u OTR grupi pacova, izlaganje stresu je dovelo do smanjenja BRS. Primena OTX u OTR grupije..

West Syndrome with Periventricular Leukomalacia: Ten-year Clinical Study

The aim of the study was to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) andWest syndrome (WS) and determine the neurodevelopmental outcome in children withWest syndrome and PVL. Ultrasound and brain MRI were performed in 37 infants with recognized PVL. PVL was categorized according to De Vries, whereas West syndrome was categorized according to International League Against Epilepsy 1989. West syndrome in our patients developed during the first 2 years of life. The most common interictal abnormality was hypsarrhythmia. All, except two patients had delayed development and various degrees of mental retardation.The most characteristic neuroimaging findings were major reduction in cerebral cortical gray matter volume, reduction in the volume of brain myelin, and delayed myelination. These findings may explain the anatomical association between the West syndrome onset and PVL and intellectual and cognitive deficit in premature infants with PVL

Lifelong Education in Order to Achieve Progress of Business and Creation of the Financial Values

U suvremenim uvjetima globalizacije, kao bitan čimbenik razvoja društva i uspješnih nacionalnih gospodarstava, ističe se znanje. Gospodarstvo se sve više oslanja na korištenje novih ideja, informacija te stjecanje novih znanja i vještina, a manje na materijalne izvore. Tržište rada iznimno je dinamično te zahtijeva konstantnu prilagodbu novim uvjetima. Najvažniji čimbenik u ostvarivanju toga cilja jest cjeloživotno obrazovanje. Istraživanje, korišteno u pisanju ovog znanstvenog rada, provodilo se od prosinca 2011. godine do travnja 2012. godine. Podijeljena su 764 anketna upitnika, a stopa povrata pravilno ispunjenih upitnika bila je 82%. Cilj ovog rada je, na temelju provedenog istraživanja, prikazati korelaciju između želje za usavršavanjem i poslovnog napretka, odnosno korelaciju između potrebe za usavršavanjem i očuvanjem radnog mjesta.In modern conditions of globalization, as an essential factor of the successful development of society and national economies, knowledge is very important. The economy increasingly relies on the use of new ideas, informations and acquiring new knowledge and skills rather than on the material resources. The labor market is very dynamic and requires constant adaptation the new conditions. The most important factor in achieving this aim is lifelong learning. The aim of this paper is to show on the basis of research conducted the correlation between the desire for training and business progress and the correlation between the need for training and job preservation

IMPACT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC ON THE GLOBAL MUSIC INDUSTRY

Cilj je rada analizirati utjecaj pandemije Covid 19 na ukupne prihode globalne glazbene industrije. Istraživanje se temelji na analizi prihoda pojedinih kategorija glazbene industrije te se rezultati kompariraju s rezultatima istraživanja trenda ukupnih prihoda. U kontekstu analize trenda u razdoblju pandemije Covid 19, istraživanje je podijeljeno u dva dijela od kojih jedan obuhvaća samo razdoblje koje se izravno povezuje s pandemijom Covid 19. Rezultati istraživanja su dokazali kako pandemija Covid 19 nije imala nikakav utjecaj na trend ukupnih prihoda. Isto tako, rezultati istraživanja dokazali su značajan utjecaj pandemije na prihode svih kategorija glazbene industrije osim prihoda u kategoriji streaming. U posljednjem analiziranom periodu, prihodi su naglo porasli što je rezultat otvaranja tržišta te porasta prihoda u kategorijama Autorska prava i Sinkronizacija. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na nagli rast ukupnih prihoda, ali i usporavanje prihoda od streaminga kao dominantne kategorije u strukturi prihoda.The aim of the paper is to analyse the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the total revenues of the global music industry. The research is based on the analysis of the income of individual categories of the music industry, and the results are compared with the results of the research on the trend of total income. In the context of trend analysis in the period of the Covid 19 pandemic, the research is divided into two parts, one of which covers only the period that is directly related to the Covid 19 pandemic. The results of the research proved that the Covid 19 pandemic had no impact on the trend of total revenues. Likewise, the research results proved the significant impact of the pandemic on the revenues of all categories of the music industry, except for revenues in the streaming category. In the last analysed period, revenues increased sharply, which is the result of market opening and increased revenues in the Copyright and Synchronization categories. The results of the research indicate a sharp growth in total revenues, but also a slowdown in revenues from streaming as the dominant category in the revenue structure

The association of allergy and otitis media with eff usion in children

Upala srednjeg uha s izljevom (OME) česta je bolest u djece s prevalencijom koja doseže do 20% i s utjecajem na provodni gubitak sluha, zakašnjeli razvoj govora i oštećenje sluznice srednjeg uha. Cilj ove studije je utvrditi povezanost alergija i perzistirajućih upala srednjeg uha s izljevom (OME) u djece. U istraživanje je uključeno sedamdeset šestero (76) djece između 2 i 14 godina s dijagnozom perzistirajuće upale srednjeg uha s izljevom, koja su podvrgnuta operativnom zahvatu postavljanja aerizacijskih cjevčica. Sedamdeset šestero (76) zdrave djece slične dobi koja su podvrgnuta različitim neotorinolaringološkim operativnim zahvatima uključena su u kontrolnu skupinu. Pozitivna anamneza alergijskog rinitisa, rezultati intradermalnih kožnih testova i vrijednosti ukupnog i specifi čnog IgE-a su dokumentirani.U skupini s dijagnozom upale srednjeg uha s izljevom 58-ero djece (76,3%) imalo je pozitivnu anamnezu alergijskog rinitisa, a njih 45-ero (59,2%) imalo je pozitivne nalaze intradermalnog kožnog testiranja. Vrijednosti ukupnog IgE-a bile su povišene u 46-ero djece (60.5%), a vrijednosti specifi čnog IgE-a bile su povišene u njih 39-ero (51,3%) u OME skupini. U kontrolnoj skupini 12-ero djece (15,8%) imalo je pozitivnu anamnezu alergijskog rinitisa, njih 10-ero (13,2%) imalo je pozitivne nalaze intradermalnog kožnog testiranja, vrijednosti ukupnog IgE-a bile su povišene u 17-ero djece (22,4%) iz kontrolne skupine, a njih 9-ero (11,8%) imalo je povišene vrijednosti specifi čnog IgE-a. Rad pokazuje značajno veću prevalenciju alergija u skupini djece s upalom srednjeg uha s izljevom u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Značajno veći broj pozitivnih nalaza alergoloških testiranja nalazimo u skupini djece s upalom srednjeg uha s izljevom u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu.Otitis media with eff usion (OME) is a common disease in children with a prevalence of up to 20% and great impact on conductive hearing loss, delayed speech development and destruction of middle ear mucosa lining. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of allergy and persistent OME in children. Seventy-six children aged 2 to 14 years diagnosed with OME were included in the study. Control group included 76 age-matched healthy children attending pediatric surgical unit for diff erent pediatric surgical procedures other than ENT surgery. Fifty-eight (76.3%) OME children had positive history of allergic rhinitis and 45 (59.2%) had positive results of intradermal skin tests. Total IgE levels were elevated in 46 (60.5%) children and specifi c IgE levels were elevated in 39 (51.3%) children in OME group. In control group, 12 (15.8) children had positive history of allergic rhinitis and only 10 (13.2%) had positive results of intradermal skin tests. Total IgE levels were elevated in 17 (22.4%) children and specifi c IgE levels were elevated in 9 (11.8%) control group children. This study showed the prevalence of allergic history to be higher in children with OME as compared with control group. The prevalence of positive results of diff erent allergy tests was also higher in the OME group as compared with control group

Sudden death: Neurogenic causes, prediction and prevention

Sudden death is a major health problem all over the world. The most common causes of sudden death are cardiac but there are also other causes such as neurological conditions (stroke, epileptic attacks and brain trauma), drugs, catecholamine toxicity, etc. A common feature of all these diverse pathologies underlying sudden death is the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system control of the cardiovascular system. This paper reviews different pathologies underlying sudden death with emphasis on the autonomic nervous system contribution, possibilities of early diagnosis and prognosis of sudden death using various clinical markers including autonomic markers (heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity), present possibilities of management and promising prevention by electrical neuromodulation

Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Children with Periventricular Leukomalacia

The purpose of this study was to question the correlation of different grades of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome. In a prospective study we followed 52 preterm infants. Infants were divided into three groups according to their cranial ultrasound findings of PVL (De Vries classification). Seventeen children had PVL 1, 20 children had PVL 2, and 15 children had PVL 3. All 15 (100%) children with PVL 3 developed cerebral palsy with additional visual perceptual dysfunctions and epilepsy. Children with PVL 1 had high frequency of mild neuromotoric delay and visual impairment. PVL 2 and 3 have great predictive value for subsequent severe neurodevelopmental disorder which refers to cerebral palsy, different cognitive deficits, vision impairment and epilepsy. We have determined that due to high frequency of visual impairment and epilepsy we need to include neurophysiologic examinations very early in children with PVL lesions

Overexpression of oxytocin receptors in the hypothalamic PVN increases baroreceptor reflex sensitivity and buffers BP variability in conscious rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is an important integrative site for neuroendocrine control of the circulation. We investigated the role of oxytocin receptors (OT receptors) in PVN in cardiovascular homeostasis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Experiments were performed in conscious male Wistar rats equipped with a radiotelemetric device. The PVN was unilaterally co-transfected with an adenoviral vector (Ad), engineered to overexpress OT receptors, and an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) tag. Control groups: PVN was transfected with an Ad expressing eGFP alone or untransfected, sham rats (Wt). Recordings were obtained without and with selective blockade of OT receptors (OTX), during both baseline and stressful conditions. Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) and cardiovascular short-term variability were evaluated using the sequence method and spectral methodology respectively. KEY RESULTS: Under baseline conditions, rats overexpressing OT receptors (OTR) exhibited enhanced BRS and reduced BP variability compared to control groups. Exposure to stress increased BP, BP variability and HR in all rats. In control groups, but not in OTR rats, BRS decreased during stress. Pretreatment of OTR rats with OTX reduced BRS and enhanced BP and HR variability under baseline and stressful conditions. Pretreatment of Wt rats with OTX, reduced BRS and increased BP variability under baseline and stressful conditions, but only increased HR variability during stress. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: OT receptors in PVN are involved in tonic neural control of BRS and cardiovascular short-term variability. The failure of this mechanism could critically contribute to the loss of autonomic control in cardiovascular disease