Phylogenetic origin of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo trutta</Emphasis> L 1758 from Sicily,based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses

The phylogenetic status of brown trout Salmo trutta L 1758 in Sicily is uncertain as some reports describe these trout as S. macrostigma or S. cettii on one hand while other, contradictory reports imply a hatchery origin on the other. In order to clarify this situation, we performed sequence analysis of the mtDNA control region and restriction fragment analysis of the nuclear lactate dehydrogenase (LDH-C1*) gene. A single mitochondrial haplotype (At-s6) found previously in brown trout in Morocco, and two alleles at LDH-C1* (the ancestral*100, at a high frequency, and *90) were revealed. Our results suggest that Sicilian brown trout are native and that they probably colonized Sicily from west to east in an expansion, from the Atlantic Ocean basin, along the North-West African coast. Handling editor: C. Sturmbauer     

Intensity of mineralization in the hyporheic zone of the prealpine river Bača (West Slovenia)

Respiratory electron transport system (ETS) activity and oxygen consumption in the interstitial water, and in the fine (i.e. silt) and coarse (sand) sediment fractions from the hyporheic zone of the prealpine river Bača (W Slovenia) have been measured in order to estimate the intensity of potential and actual carbon mineralization through microbial communities. Hyporheic samples from the river bed (RB) and gravel bars (GB) were compared. ETS activity and oxygen consumption of all fractions from the RB did not differ significantly from those from the GB. ETS activity and oxygen consumption of biofilm attached to 1 g of the silt were higher than of that attached to the same mass of the sand. A significant correlation between ETS activity and oxygen consumption indicated that the former should be a good indicator of intensity of bioactivity in hyporheic sediments. The ratio of ETS activity to oxygen consumption (ETS/R ratio) revealed that the oxygen consumption of microorganisms is responsible for approximately 60% of the metabolic potential in the hyporheic sediments. The contributions of different fractions of sediment to the total ETS activity differed between RB and GB. The contribution of microorganisms in the interstitial water and silt was higher in GB than in the RB, but the sand fraction contributed less to potential carbon loss in GB than in the RB. Average total respiratory carbon loss per volume through the hyporheic zone was higher in the RB than in GB. The main reasons suggested are the different intensity of exchange of surface water with the hyporheic zone, and the rate of consolidation of sediments, which is primarily a function of river hydrology and geomorphology. Handling editor: J. Padisak     

The impact of age, sex, body mass index and menstrual cycle phase on gastric myoelectrical activity characteristics in a healthy Croatian population

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of demographic and anthropometric parameters on the gastric myoelectrical activity characteristics in a healthy Croatian population. The influence of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and menstrual cycle phase on the gastric myoelectrical activity characteristics was assessed. The study included 120 healthy subjects of both sexes (60 male and 60 female), divided into four age groups (18-35, 36-50, 51-65 and > 65 years) and three BMI groups (BMI < 25, 25-30 and > 30). Female subjects of reproductive age were divided into three groups according to menstrual cycle phase (day 1-3, day 4-8 and day 9-20 of menstruation). All study subjects underwent percutaneous electrogastrography (EGG) for 60 min before and 60 min after a test meal. The following parameters of the gastric myoelectrical activity were observed: dominant frequency (DF); dominant frequency within normal range (DFNR, %); coefficient of variation for dominant frequency (CVDF); dominant strength (DS. mV); postprandial increase intensity in dominant strength (PPIIDS, %); bradygastria (BG, c/min, %); tachygastria (TG, c/min, %); and arrhythmia (AR). Age was found to influence preprandial but not postprandial DFNR, CVDF and AR. Sex influenced preprandial DF, CVDF, DS and BG, and postprandial DF, CVDF, PPIIDS and TG. BMI exerted an impact on preprandial TG and AR, and postprandial DF, CVDF and AR. The phase of menstrual cycle influenced DF in preprandial period and none of EGG parameters in postprandial period.     

Distribution of human papillomavirus types in different histological subtypes of cervical adenocarcinoma

Little information is available regarding distribution of HPV types in different histological subtypes of adenocarcinoma (AC). Thus, in this study we examined the frequency of high-risk (hr) HPV types in AC, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and adenosquamous carcinoma (ADSQ). A total of 102 cases of primary cervical adenocarcinoma (26 AIS and 76 invasive AC) obtained from pathology files from 1995-2006 were histologically subtyped. Our results demonstrated that endocervical type occupied the major subtype of AC (22/66) followed by ADSQ (17/66) where as in the group of AIS endocervical type (12/23) was followed by intestinal type of AIS (7/23). Successful DNA extraction was obtained in 89 samples; 81 out of 89 (91.0%) tested positive for HPV DNA. The prevalence of HPV DNA in AIS, AC and ADSQ was 91.3% (21/23), 90.9% (60/66) and 94.1% (16/17), respectively. We found HPV 18 type to be the most predominant type in AIS (11/21) and AC (17/60) followed by HPVof undeternmined type in AIS (3/21) and HPV 16 in AC (9/60) as the sole viral type. HPV 18 was most frequently detected type in all histological subtypes of AIS and AC. We have detected HPV DNA in all 5 samples of clear cell carcinoma (CCC), although other studies have reported a highly variable prevalence of HPVDNA in CCC. The most prevalent HPV type in ADSQ was HPV-16 followed by HPV 33 as single type. The observed overall predominance of HPV 18 in AIS (chi(2) = 6.109, p< or = 0.025) and AC (chi(2) = 8.927, p< or =0.01) as well as of HPV 16 in ADSQ (chi(2) = 10.164, p < or = 0.01) was statistically significant. Our data revealed statistically significant predominance of single hrHPV infections in AIS (16/21; chi(2) = 11.523, p < 0.001) and AC (37/60; X2 = 6.533, p < 0.025) whereas multiple hrHPV infections were more abundant in AC comparing to AIS (23/81and 5/81, respectively; chi(2) = 13.989, p< or =0.001).     

Second generation antipsychotics and risk of diabetes type II--comparison between olanzapine and risperidone

Differences in the glucose metabolism were examined and analysed in this study between patients treated with olanzapine and risperidone in comparison with healthy volunteers. The aim of the study was to determine differences of the impaired glucose metabolism in the study groups as well as to point out to the possible mechanisms which bring to these differences. To the group of 15 schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine, and group of 15 schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone and to 14 healthy volunteers oral glucose tolerancy test is applied in order to determine the level of the impaired glucose tolerance. In the group of the patients treated with olanzapine glucose tolerance was impaired in 33% of the patients, while in the group of the patients treated with risperidone in 20%. Impaired glucose tolerance mostly manifested as hyperinsulinemia. Authors discussed about possible mechanisms responsible for the impaired glucose tolerance in the patients treated with new antipsychotics. Authors conclude that insulin resistance is the main mechanism for development of the diabetes type II in the schizophrenic patients treated with antipsychotics. Insulin resistance is the result of the multiple effects of the antipsychotics, among which most common are: increased body mass and direct involvement of the antipsychotics in the glucose metabolism.     

Application of novel lossless compression of medical images using prediction and contextual error modeling

Conduction of tele-3D-computer assisted operations as well as other telemedicine procedures often requires highest possible quality of transmitted medical images and video. Unfortunately, those data types are always associated with high telecommunication and storage costs that sometimes prevent more frequent usage of such procedures. We present a novel algorithm for lossless compression of medical images that is extremely helpful in reducing the telecommunication and storage costs. The algorithm models the image properties around the current, unknown pixel and adjusts itself to the local image region. The main contribution of this work is the enhancement of the well known approach of predictor blends through highly adaptive determination of blending context on a pixel-by-pixel basis using classification technique. We show that this approach is well suited for medical image data compression. Results obtained with the proposed compression method on medical images are very encouraging, beating several well known lossless compression methods. The predictor proposed can also be used in other image processing applications such as segmentation and extraction of image regions.     

Progression of optic neuritis to multiple sclerosis in the County of Split-Dalmatia, Croatia

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of monosymptomatic optic neuritis (MON) and progression of MON to multiple sclerosis (MS) from the Mediterranean region of southern Europe in the County of Split-Dalmatia, Croatia during the 11 years period from 1991 to 2001. This study was made retrospectively on the 87 cases (59 female, aged 25.9 +/- 11.3 and 28 male aged 29.9 +/- 9.2) of MON, which were treated at the Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Neurology, Split, University Hospital, from January 1991 to December 2001. In each case the diagnosis was confirmed by a chart review and cases were ascribed to the data of admittance at hospital. The annual incidence of MON was 1.9 per 100,000 (95% CI, 0.4-3.5). The incidence among males was 1.2 (95% CI, 0-2.9) cases / 100,000 per year and 2.5 (95% CI, 0.1-4.9) among females. A significant seasonal variations in the incidence of MON was not found (chi2 = 6.81, p = 0.08). MS developed in 20 of 87 patients (22.9%) and median time was 25 (SE 8) months, (95% CI, 9-41) after the MON onset. After two years 12.6% of patients with MON developed MS, 20.6% after 5 years and 22.9% after 10 years. MS was slightly but not significantly more frequent in women than in men (chi2 = 0.72, p = 0.3). In conclusion, the progression of MON to MS in the County of Split-Dalmatia, Croatia was at a relatively moderate frequency.     

Histopathology of the pterygium in population on Croatian Island Rab

In the 1975-2004 period, 130 cases of pterygium were estimated, 83 males and 47 females, on a small island Rab. Island Rab is located in the north part of the Adriatic sea, which has very high index of sun radiation. Pterygium is usually histopathologically defined as a hyperplasia of conjunctival tissue, elastoid degeneration of subepithelieum and fragmentation of Bowman's membrane. Our histopathological findings in 73 eyes are following: conjunctiva with neovascularisation, leukocyte margination and subepithelial basophilic degeneration, proliferation of conjunctival tissue, acanthosis and squamous metaplasia, and mucinous elements, focaly present plasma cells, focuses of increased pigmentisation in basal epithelial layers, tenon capsule with edema, diffuse neovascularisation and fragmentation of fibrils. These findings suggest that in severe cases of pterygium histopathologically exists precancerosis. In conclusion, on the basis of these histopathological findings, especially in the Tenon capsule, we suggest that for surgical procedure of pterygium the excision of the Tenon capsule, extensively under pterygium, is necessary.     

Sunlight and incidence of pterygium on Croatian Island Rab--epidemiological study

The aim of this epidemiologic study, on small island Rab, in North Adriatic Sea, is to estimate correlation between climatic factors, specially chronic exposure to strong visible and UV light, and appearance of pterygium and exfoliation syndrome. In the first group of population which live in a village and who are agriculturists and fishermen (480 persons) appearance of pterygium is in 23% (16% in males and 7% in females), but 0.0% in urban people (61 people). The appearance of exfoliation syndrome was in the first group of agriculturists and fishermen population in 21%, of which 19% of males and 2% of females, and in urban people 0.0%. The higher intraocular pressure in exfoliation syndrome was 92%. All population in this examination were in the highest age (mean age is 65-80 years). Chronic exposure to sunlight caused the high percentage appearance of pterygium and exfoliation syndrome.