On the influence of various physicochemical properties of the CNTs based implantable devices on the fibroblasts' reaction in vitro

Coating the material with a layer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been a subject of particular interest for the development of new biomaterials. Such coatings, made of properly selected CNTs, may constitute an implantable electronic device that facilitates tissue regeneration both by specific surface properties and an ability to electrically stimulate the cells. The goal of the presented study was to produce, evaluate physicochemical properties and test the applicability of highly conductible material designed as an implantable electronic device. Two types of CNTs with varying level of oxidation were chosen. The process of coating involved suspension of the material of choice in the diluent followed by the electrophoretic deposition to fabricate layers on the surface of a highly biocompatible metal-titanium. Presented study includes an assessment of the physicochemical properties of the material’s surface along with an electrochemical evaluation and in vitro biocompatibility, cytotoxicity and apoptosis studies in contact with the murine fibroblasts (L929) in attempt to answer the question how the chemical composition and CNTs distribution in the layer alters the electrical properties of the sample and whether any of these properties have influenced the overall biocompatibility and stimulated adhesion of fibroblasts. The results indicate that higher level of oxidation of CNTs yielded materials more conductive than the metal they are deposited on. In vitro study revealed that both materials were biocompatible and that the cells were not affected by the amount of the functional group and the morphology of the surface they adhered to

Bol i palijativna medicina – tempus projekt u Hrvatskoj

Pain and Palliative Medicine Project (PPMP), funded by the TEMPUS programme of the European Union, has been established with a goal of sharing knowledge and experience from countries in which palliative care is already substantially developed to partner countries whose palliative care encountered more problems. Croatia as partner country, has tried to improve national palliative care systems through education of medical and non-medical personnel. Protocols of collaboration and training courses in pain management and palliative medicine at the Universities of Florence and Lyon, including options of collaboration with some university and clinical institutions in Croatia have been presented. After their two-year project, the Croatian team has noted significant progress in the fields of education, infrastructure and legislative support for development of palliative care. These results show the need for improving Croatian palliative care system as well as possible solutions for overcoming obstacles derived from nation’s traditional views on the treatment of the terminally ill.Bol i palijativna medicina (PPMP) je projekt u okviru TEMPUS programa Europske Unije s ciljem prenošenja znanja i iskustava zemalja, u kojima je palijativna skrb dobro razvijena, zemljama u kojima je palijativna skrb manje aktivna. Hrvatska, kao zemlja partner, nastoji poboljšati nacionalni program palijativne skrbi kroz edukaciju medicinskog i ne-medicinskog osoblja. Prikazani su protokoli suradnje i tečajeva o boli i palijativnoj medicine na Sveučilištima u Firenci i Lyonu, kao i na nekim sveučilišnim i kliničkim institucijama u Hrvatskoj. Nakon dvogodišnjeg projekta hrvatski tim zabilježio je značajni napredak u poljima edukacije, infrastrukture i zakonske potpore razvoju palijativne skrbi. Ovi rezultati su pokazali potrebu za daljnjim poboljšavanjem hrvatske palijativne skrbi kao i moguća rješenja za prevladavanje prepreka koje proizlaze iz tradicionalnih pogleda društva na skrb terminalno bolesnih

Bol i palijativna medicina – tempus projekt u Hrvatskoj

Pain and Palliative Medicine Project (PPMP), funded by the TEMPUS programme of the European Union, has been established with a goal of sharing knowledge and experience from countries in which palliative care is already substantially developed to partner countries whose palliative care encountered more problems. Croatia as partner country, has tried to improve national palliative care systems through education of medical and non-medical personnel. Protocols of collaboration and training courses in pain management and palliative medicine at the Universities of Florence and Lyon, including options of collaboration with some university and clinical institutions in Croatia have been presented. After their two-year project, the Croatian team has noted significant progress in the fields of education, infrastructure and legislative support for development of palliative care. These results show the need for improving Croatian palliative care system as well as possible solutions for overcoming obstacles derived from nation’s traditional views on the treatment of the terminally ill.Bol i palijativna medicina (PPMP) je projekt u okviru TEMPUS programa Europske Unije s ciljem prenošenja znanja i iskustava zemalja, u kojima je palijativna skrb dobro razvijena, zemljama u kojima je palijativna skrb manje aktivna. Hrvatska, kao zemlja partner, nastoji poboljšati nacionalni program palijativne skrbi kroz edukaciju medicinskog i ne-medicinskog osoblja. Prikazani su protokoli suradnje i tečajeva o boli i palijativnoj medicine na Sveučilištima u Firenci i Lyonu, kao i na nekim sveučilišnim i kliničkim institucijama u Hrvatskoj. Nakon dvogodišnjeg projekta hrvatski tim zabilježio je značajni napredak u poljima edukacije, infrastrukture i zakonske potpore razvoju palijativne skrbi. Ovi rezultati su pokazali potrebu za daljnjim poboljšavanjem hrvatske palijativne skrbi kao i moguća rješenja za prevladavanje prepreka koje proizlaze iz tradicionalnih pogleda društva na skrb terminalno bolesnih

AWAKE SURGERY FOR A PRIMARY BRAIN TUMOR

Operacije tumora u elokventnom području mozga u budnom stanju bolesnika izvode se s ciljem maksimalnog odstranjenja tumora i istodobnog očuvanja neurološke funkcije. U ovom radu autori opisuju slučaj bolesnika s primarnim tumorom mozga u području primarne motoričke kore koji je operiran u budnom stanju. Opisani neurokirurško-anesteziološko-neurofiziološki zahvat prvi je takve vrste izveden u Republici Hrvatskoj.Awake brain surgery has been approved as a safe and efficaceous operative procedure with the goal of maximal tumor resection and preservation of neurological function. This case report presents the first full awake primary brain tumor surgical procedure performed in Croatia

Operacija primarnog tumora mozga u budnom stanju bolesnika [Awake surgery for a primary brain tumor]

Awake brain surgery has been approved as a safe and efficaceous operative procedure with the goal of maximal tumor resection and preservation of neurological function. This case report presents the first full awake primary brain tumor surgical procedure performed in Croatia

AWAKE SURGERY FOR A PRIMARY BRAIN TUMOR

Operacije tumora u elokventnom području mozga u budnom stanju bolesnika izvode se s ciljem maksimalnog odstranjenja tumora i istodobnog očuvanja neurološke funkcije. U ovom radu autori opisuju slučaj bolesnika s primarnim tumorom mozga u području primarne motoričke kore koji je operiran u budnom stanju. Opisani neurokirurško-anesteziološko-neurofiziološki zahvat prvi je takve vrste izveden u Republici Hrvatskoj.Awake brain surgery has been approved as a safe and efficaceous operative procedure with the goal of maximal tumor resection and preservation of neurological function. This case report presents the first full awake primary brain tumor surgical procedure performed in Croatia

Does "FOPER" Has Its Own Forest?

Background and purpose: Nowadays, when the environmental protection is increasingly gaining in importance, initiation such as conversion of productive forest with primary economic functions into forests with special purpose should be positively welcomed. FOPER forest near Varaždin is an example of this kind of conversion. FOPER Forest is one of the outcomes of FOPER Project which was established on the area of South East Europe. FOPER Forest is located on the area of 3.60 ha of the Management Unit "Zelendvor". On one half of that area Research forest was planted, while on the other half Memorial Park will be planted in spring 2013. Overall aims of FOPER Forest is to acquire habits of people who are living in urban areas to visit green areas; to raise their environmental awareness and to strengthen cooperation in education and research; but even more important is strengthening cooperation and friendship in South East Europe (SEE). Specific aim of FOPER Forest is visitors’ education about vegetation of FOPER Project countries in Memorial park and conducting researches in Research part. Material and methods: Two main methods were used to gather the material on FOPER Project and on FOPER Forest: (I) published literature was reviewed, (II) the Internet and relevant web sites provided access to other information. Discussion and conclusion: Good promotions of FOPER Forest can attract potential tourists and visitors and raise not only their environmental awareness, but also their awareness of importance of forestry as profession. They could see that forestry is not narrow profession which deals only with management of forests, but a complex scientific profession, which deals with variety of different fields. FOPER Forest is the great example of the overall guiding principle of FOPER Project which is „learning by doing”

Crystal structure of the fibre head domain of bovine adenovirus 4, a ruminant atadenovirus

[Background] In adenoviruses, primary host cell recognition is generally performed by the head domains of their homo-trimeric fibre proteins. This first interaction is reversible. A secondary, irreversible interaction subsequently takes place via other adenovirus capsid proteins and leads to a productive infection. Although many fibre head structures are known for human mastadenoviruses, not many animal adenovirus fibre head structures have been determined, especially not from those belonging to adenovirus genera other than Mastadenovirus.[Methods] We constructed an expression vector for the fibre head domain from a ruminant atadenovirus, bovine adenovirus 4 (BAdV-4), consisting of amino acids 414–535, expressed the protein in Escherichia coli, purified it by metal affinity and cation exchange chromatography and crystallized it. The structure was solved using single isomorphous replacement plus anomalous dispersion of a mercury derivative and refined against native data that extended to 1.2 Å resolution.[Results] Like in other adenoviruses, the BAdV-4 fibre head monomer contains a beta-sandwich consisting of ABCJ and GHID sheets. The topology is identical to the fibre head of the other studied atadenovirus, snake adenovirus 1 (SnAdV-1), including the alpha-helix in the DG-loop, despite of them having a sequence identity of only 15 %. There are also differences which may have implications for ligand binding. Beta-strands G and H are longer and differences in several surface-loops and surface charge are observed.[Conclusions] Chimeric adenovirus fibres have been used to retarget adenovirus-based anti-cancer and gene therapy vectors. Ovine adenovirus 7 (OAdV-7), another ruminant atadenovirus, is intensively tested as a basis for such a vector. Here, we present the high-resolution atomic structure of the BAdV-4 fibre head domain, the second atadenovirus fibre head structure known and the first of an atadenovirus that infects a mammalian host. Future research should focus on the receptor-binding properties of these fibre head domains.The research leading to these results was sponsored by grant BFU2011-24843 (to MJvR, THN, MSG and AKS) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, a VAST-CSIC PhD fellowship to THN, a FEMS short-term Research Fellowship award to MZB, a RISAM fellowship to MSG, a La Caixa fellowship to AKS, and by grant OTKA NN107632 from the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (to BH)