Rat Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury and Recovery Tracked by Plantar Test and Immunohistochemistry Analysis

An experimental crush injury to the sciatic nerve, with a crush force of 49.2 N (pressure p=1.98x108 Pa), was inflicted in 30 male rats (Wistar). A control group (sham), with the same number of rats, was also operated upon exactly as the experimental group but without the crush injury. We tested the sensory and motor recovery of the sciatic nerve with Hargreaves method, using an apparatus from Ugo Basile, Italy. Testing was continued for both legs of each rat, injured and uninjured, starting preoperatively (0 day), and then 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days postoperatively. The same experiment was run simultaneously with the sham group. The Plantar test showed recovery of the sensory and motor function of the sciatic nerve, though not complete recovery, by 28 days. An immunohistochemical experiment was run in parallel with the plantar test on L3-L6 segments of the spinal cord from where the sciatic nerve extends. We used antibodies for Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and gangliosides GD1a and GT1b on the aforesaid part of the spinal cord. The immunohistochemical methods showed changes in sensory and motor axons in the spinal cord segment L3-L6 which suggest correspondence with the results of the Plantar test, in terms of recovery of the sensory and motor function after injury of the sciatic nerve. The immunohistochemical results also show ipsilateral and contralateral changes following injury. Results of the plantar test are suggestive that the rat shows compensation for an injury in its contralateral leg

ELECTRICAL ENERGY LOSSES IN THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Gubici električne energije u hrvatskoj distribucijskoj mreži su često tema raznih rasprava, kako stručnih i poslovnih tako i medijskih, a njihova analiza je složeno pitanje opterećeno problemom podjele na tehničke i netehničke gubitke. U članku su opisani glavni utjecajni čimbenici i njihov utjecaj na iznos gubitaka s posebnim osvrtom na njihovo kretanje u prošlom i ovom desetljeću te usporedba s gubicima u drugim državama Europe. Osim toga, opisane su glavne aktivnosti kojima se učinkovito djeluje na njihovo smanjenje. Novim zakonodavnim okvirom, briga o gubicima postaje jedna od središnjih aktivnosti, kako za operatora distribucijskog sustava tako i za Hrvatsku energetsku regulatornu agenciju.Losses of electrical energy in the Croatian distribution network are frequently the subject of various discussions, from the professional and business aspects as well as in the media, and their analysis is an intricate matter complicated by the problem of the distinction between technical and nontechnical losses. In the article, the main factors and their impact on the amount of loss are described, with particular attention to trends in the past and current decade and comparison to losses in other European countries. Moreover, the chief activities for reducing these losses effectively are described. With the new legislative framework, the reduction of losses becomes a central concern for both the distribution system operator and the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (CERA)

CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMUR AND HUMERUS IN TUROPOLJE PIG – AN AUTOCHTHONOUS CROATIAN BREED

Since 1996, Turopolje pig breed–autochthonous Croatian breed has been in the state of renewal and protection. The size of breeding population was 137 sows and 13 boars in 2006. The aim of this study was to present some bones characteristics of femur and humerus (weight, length, circumference, diameters of diaphysis and epiphysis proximalis and distalis) of the hogs of Turopolje pig breed (T) in comparison to selected pigs, Swedish Landrace breed (SL) and Hypor (Hy) pigs. The hogs T (n=19, live weight 100.3±4.9 kg) were produced by traditional Croatian technologies of low feed input in outdoor system. The selected hogs (SL and Hy, n=62 and 53, live weight 103.3±5.3 and 104±5.8 kg) were produced by conventional technologies of fattening in large farm. Characteristics of femur and humerus at hogs T were as follows: weights 271.4 and 256.6 g, length 202.0 and 194.9 mm, diameters of epiphysis proximalis 58.3 and 67.9 mm, and epiphysis distalis 49.0 and 42.0 mm, the minimum and maximum diameters of diaphysis 19.0 and 18.9 mm and 23.0 and 25.8 mm and circumference of diaphysis 78.1 and 77.0 mm. Significantly higher values for all traits of femur and humerus except for length and circumference of diaphysis were found in hogs SL and Hy. The length of both femur and humerus were significantly higher in T than in SL and Hy pigs. The results should be the contribution to explanation of carcass composition and distribution of tissues in the carcass of Turopolje pig breed

Optimization of commodity portfolio management

The problem we consider is introduced by Uljarice Bačka, LLC. The core business activities of the company are trade of agriculture commodities, warehousing and distribution and crops production. The main traded goods are: corn, wheat, barely, sunflower, soybean, soybean meal and raw material for crops production: fertilizers, plant protection products, seeds and other. Since a large part of company’s activities relays on corn, predicting the price of that good is of the main interest. In order to make a reasonable predictions, models which incorporate the crucial factors influencing the corn prices are needed. Of course, the important issue is which data are available. Within the data that we obtained, a correlation analysis is performed to point out the relevant parameters. We introduce different methods for obtaining the predictions and provide some numerical results

Preclinical validation of rilmenidine for repurposing in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has dismal prognosis, as there are no screening tests available, most often is diagnosed in the metastatic phase of the disease and is refractory to conventional, targeted and immunotherapy. We have examined the expression and role of the novel tumor suppressor nischarin (NISCH) in PDAC and the effects of treatment with the agonist rilmenidine (approved for treatment of hypertension) in order to determine the potential of nischarin agonists for repurposing in this deadly disease.EACR 2023: Innovative Cancer Science, 12-15 June 2023, Torino, Ital

Uloga testova otpuštanja interferona gama u nadzoru nad tuberkulozom

Tuberculosis is still one of the major global public health threats. Countries with low incidence must focus on exhausting the reservoir of future cases by preventing reactivation. Therefore, it is important to identify and effectively treat those individuals who have latent tuberculosis infection and who may develop active disease. The tuberculin skin test has been the standard for detection of immune response against M. tuberculosis since the beginning of the 20th century. The new millennium has brought advancement in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection. The name of the new blood test is interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). Croatia is a middle-incidence country with a long decreasing trend and developed tuberculosis control. To reach low incidence and finally eliminate tuberculosis, its tuberculosis programme needs a more aggressive approach that would include intensive contact investigation and treatment of persons with latent tuberculosis infection. This article discusses the current uses of IGRA and its role in tuberculosis control.Tuberkuloza je i danas jedan od vodećih javnozdravstvenih problema. Zemlje s niskom incidencijom fokusiraju se na iscrpljivanje rezervoara budućih slučajeva sprječavanjem reaktivacije bolesti. To se odnosi na traženje i učinkovito liječenje infi ciranih osoba, primarno onih koje su u riziku od obolijevanja nakon infekcije. Tuberkulinski test je od početka 20. stoljeća bio standard u otkrivanju imunosnog odgovora na kontakt s Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Novo tisućljeće donijelo je određeni napredak u obliku novih testova za dijagnozu latentne tuberkulozne infekcije, krvne testove otpuštanja interferona gama. Hrvatska je zemlja srednje incidencije tuberkuloze s dugogodišnjim silaznim trendom i razvijenim protutuberkuloznim aktivnostima. U težnji prema niskoj incidenciji i u konačnici eliminaciji tuberkuloze potrebne su opsežnije aktivnosti unutar državnog programa nadzora nad tuberkulozom, uključujući intenzivnu obradu kontakata i probir na postojanje latentne tuberkulozne infekcije. Ovaj rad razmatra trenutačnu uporabu IGRE (engl. interferon - gamma release assay) i njezinu ulogu u nadzoru nad tuberkulozom

Supplementary data for article: Selaković, Ž.; Tran, J. P.; Kota, K. P.; Lazić, M.; Retterer, C.; Besh, R.; Panchal, R. G.; Soloveva, V.; Sean, V. A.; Jay, W. B.; et al. Second Generation of Diazachrysenes: Protection of Ebola Virus Infected Mice and Mechanism of Action. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2019, 162, 32–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.10.061

Supplementary material for: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0223523418309383?via%3Dihub]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/360]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2966

Glycosylation of immunoglobulin G is regulated by a large network of genes pleiotropic with inflammatory diseases

Effector functions of immunoglobulin G (IgG) are regulated by the composition of a glycan moiety, thus affecting activity of the immune system. Aberrant glycosylation of IgG has been observed in many diseases, but little is understood about the underlying mechanisms. We performed a genome-wide association study of IgG N-glycosylation (N = 8090) and, using a data-driven network approach, suggested how associated loci form a functional network. We confirmed in vitro that knockdown of IKZF1 decreases the expression of fucosyltransferase FUT8, resulting in increased levels of fucosylated glycans, and suggest that RUNX1 and RUNX3, together with SMARCB1, regulate expression of glycosyltransferase MGAT3. We also show that variants affecting the expression of genes involved in the regulation of glycoenzymes colocalize with variants affecting risk for inflammatory diseases. This study provides new evidence that variation in key transcription factors coupled with regulatory variation in glycogenes modifies IgG glycosylation and has influence on inflammatory diseases

Recommendations for the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is still the world's second most frequent cause of death due to infectious diseases after HIV infection, and this has aroused greater interest in identifying and managing exposed subjects, whether they are simply infected or have developed one of the clinical variants of the disease. Unfortunately, not even the latest laboratory techniques are always successful in identifying affected children because they are more likely to have negative cultures and tuberculin skin test results, equivocal chest X-ray findings, and atypical clinical manifestations than adults. Furthermore, they are at greater risk of progressing from infection to active disease, particularly if they are very young. Consequently, pediatricians have to use different diagnostic strategies that specifically address the needs of children. This document describes the recommendations of a group of scientific societies concerning the signs and symptoms suggesting pediatric TB, and the diagnostic approach towards children with suspected disease